


swish

by hyuckyang



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Basketball, Alternate Universe - The Proposal Fusion, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Making Out, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-12-27 00:11:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18292946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyuckyang/pseuds/hyuckyang
Summary: Donghyuck was on top of the world. His team had just won the national basketball league making them the first line-up to lead their school to internationals in years. Nothing could go wrong. Except for the fact that he is getting deported.Or, Donghyuck lives in the country illegally and Mark offers to marry him in order to prevent him from being deported.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello, my lovies. 
> 
> this is inspired by the movie 'the proposal' and since i've been obsessed with jock au's lately, i thought i might as well mash the two together. 
> 
> note that i made mark american in this, soz. 
> 
> much love.

‘’To your left, Hyuck!’’

 

Donghyuck moves before his brain can process the words spoken to him. He tries to differentiate between the voices of his teammates and the opposite teams despite the adrenaline that is rushing through his veins that is clouding his senses. The crowd that is filling up the bleachers of the basketball arena is counting down with roaring voices the seconds until the buzzer will erupt. Ten seconds left with one last chance to take home the national championship that will eventually lead them into international level. His dream was at the tip of his fingers — the dream he had spent his entire youth fighting for. He wouldn't dare to let anything come between it.

 

He turns his body swiftly to the right and directs the ball to their captain. _It is now or never_ , he thinks as he passes the ball in the air.

 

The nerves inside of him are so heavy that he darts his attention towards the scoreboard in distraction. There are only five seconds left, with the score being tied 100 - 100. He closes his eyes in anxiousness and shuts all of his senses down with trembling hands and shattered breathing as the countdown reaches one.

 

‘’Donghyuck, we fucking did it,’’ there are multiple bodies pressed against him when he finally regains enough power to open up his eyes. He snaps his eyes towards the scoreboard the second the bright lights of the hall invade his senses.

 

103 - 100

 

The sensation that fills his chest as all of his functions open up again can only be described as finally breathing after staying underwater for a long amount of time. Cheers, mixed with the weeps of happiness from his own teammates and the overbearing music blasting through the speakers wash over him like a mighty wave crashing into the ocean.

 

And there is only one thing Donghyuck can find himself able to do — yell his lungs out in sheer happiness.

 

‘’First of all, I just want to personally congratulate you all for the win we got today. All of us here made sure that our school managed to reach the national level for the first time in over a decade,’’ Mark, their captain, spoke proudly in the cramped up locker room when the team finally managed to calm down enough with the help of a rushed shower and a bit of stretching. ‘’But we didn’t stop there - no, we even managed to win the whole fucking championship. We are going international, baby!’’

 

Broken cheers explode in the locker room once again. Despite his throat begging him for a warm cup of tea, or really anything to solve the sandpaper-like feeling burning at the back of it, Donghyuck finds himself following along as well with his own cheers.

 

‘’Now remember guys, the upcoming weeks will be the some of the hardest training we will ever experience,’’ Mark continues on when the cheers dimmed down a bit.

 

‘’That ain’t nothing but child’s play, captain,’’ Jeno jokes besides Donghyuck, earning him a couple of snorts.

 

Mark smiles in his direction before regaining his posture back. ‘’So, are you guys with me?’’

 

Donghyuck glances down at his deep green jersey with his own name written on it above the numbers 58 in a bold white color. He thinks back to the neverending hours where the team locked themselves up in the gymnasium next to their dorms and practiced until their limbs cried out in pain to those games where they had been a hair strand away from losing it all but pulled through last minute. He thinks back on those nights where the only people that believed in their team was the team itself.

 

‘’Until the very end,’’ he says with pride.

 

The end, as it seems, came faster than Donghyuck had initially anticipated. Three days after their huge win, in fact.

 

‘’Donghyuck, there’s mail for you,’’ Mark announces as he walks into the living room. Judging by the hair that is stuck to his forehead and his sweat-stained t-shirt, Donghyuck can tell that he had just returned from his daily morning run.

 

The letter in question falls onto the couch right beside him, with Mark following suit. Donghyuck cringes slightly at the thick smell of sweat that crash into him, but he bites down his tongue. He knows that Mark experiences the same thing on the regular because of him as well.

 

He can feel Mark’s gaze on him as his eyes follow the content of the letter carefully. He tries not to let his emotions show too much, but he supposes that if anyone could see right through him, it’s Mark.

 

‘’What does it say?’’ Mark asks.

 

Donghyuck rereads the letter again, just to be sure, before locking his eyes with Mark’s curious ones. ‘’Mark, I’m getting deported.’’

 

Confusion is clear across Mark’s face before it settles down into panic.  ‘’What do you _mean_ deported?’’

 

There are only a few people that knew about Donghyuck living situation. Those being his Immigration agent and Mark. At first, he had tried to hide it as well as possible. He hid the letters carefully under his bed sheets and went to the meetings with half-assed excuses about going shopping or running. His lies caught up to him eventually when his Immigration agent visited the dorms one day without him being there.

 

He can only imagine how the conversation between him and Mark had gone along, especially since Mark had proudly announced himself as Donghyuck’s ‘’best friend’’ yet had no idea that his friend had been living in the country with non-existent documents.

 

‘’I mean deported. Sent back to Korea, yadi fucking yada,’’ Donghyuck sputters out. He tries to remain calm and put together, but he has always been told that his poker face was shit.

 

The look Mark gives him makes Donghyuck feel like his statement was ludicrous. ‘’You are not getting deported, you said so yourself. Plus you still have two years left of college, it makes no sense.’’

 

Despite it being the same document as it was just moments ago, Donghyuck feels a burning sensation forming on his fingertips just by touching it. He throws the paper on the ground as if the mere touch of it burned. It took an effort to provide an answer. “Mark, I’m here illegally. Do you think they give a shit about me finishing my education?”

 

Mark’s face falls. “We will figure something out.”

  


‘’Okay so I did some research and you can appeal their decision. There is a couple of things we can do to drag out the case. At least for a couple of months.’’

 

Donghyuck is sitting at his desk, elbows on the table with hands buried deep in his hair. He knows that his parents are supposed to call him any moment now on skype to check up on him. Mark bursting in here is the last thing he would have wanted, but he knows that it’s something he probably needs.

 

‘’Mark, my parents are about to call. I have to tell them,’’ Donghyuck breaths out. It’s only around three pm, but he feels exhaustion lay over him.

 

Mark ignores him and sits down on his bed right beside the desk. He places a transparent folder of what looks like documents similar to the ones he has grown to loathe.  ‘’Donghyuck, you have to appeal. Please look over these files.’’

 

The sound of his cellular phone outbursts in the room before Donghyuck could decline his offer. His hands reach out for the phone, but Mark grabs a hold of it and swipes the answer button to the right before he manages to reach it.

 

‘’Hello, ma. You look lovely today,’’ Mark’s lips stretch into his famous (and well-loved) smile.

 

The first part of the conversation goes as it usually does — except for the fact that Mark is doing most of the talking. Every time he notices that Donghyuck’s smile drops, he opens up a new conversation in distraction. Donghyuck’s parents adoring Mark is something he is well aware of, so him controlling the conversation passes over their oblivious heads smoothly.  

 

After a long chat about Donghyuck’s younger sisters’ swimming competition, Donghyuck’s mother becomes the one that brings up the conversation. ‘’Honey, have you heard from Immigration yet?’’

 

The camera is facing Donghyuck entirely, but he is aware that his mother can see Mark’s hand reaching up to his upper arm to give it a slight squeeze. The action may have seemed insignificant in the eyes of an outsider, but Donghyuck knows what it means.

 

‘’Not yet, mom. I’ll let you know when it does.’’

 

“Okay I promised myself not to question you, but you really need to fill me in on the details,” Mark says the second the call ends.

 

Donghyuck puts his phone on charge. “What do you mean?”

 

“Tell me everything — honestly.’’

 

So Donghyuck does.

 

‘’It all started a couple of months before I hit thirteen. My dad came back home from work one day and told us that his company was going to branch out to other countries. He had been asked specifically to come here since he spoke English relatively well. Fast forwards six months and we finally took off,’’ Donghyuck reminisces.

 

The move hit him harder than he had originally anticipated. Coming to a foreign country where the kids couldn’t understand him and the food wasn’t the same took a huge toll on his pre-adolescent mind. He remembers feeling lonely and scared each time he walked by the hallways because the kids would use words that sounded like gibberish in his ears. Then, Mark Lee came along and everything changed.

 

‘’My father had been informed that the move was only temporary right from the start, which he accepted at the time. But, as you can probably tell we all got accustomed to living here. Korea became nothing but a blurry memory inside my mind, and my parents’ as well,’’ Donghyuck says. He wonders for a second if Mark remembers New York, the place where he grew up before moving here around the same time as Donghyuck had. ‘’Then one day my father gets a call informing him that his work here wasn’t needed anymore and he had to leave because his job visa was going to be terminated.’’

 

‘’Just like that?’’ Mark’s tone is harsh, but he knows that it’s not directed towards him.

 

Donghyuck nods. ‘’Just like that.’’  

 

‘’How’d you make it?’’ Mark asks. His face is scrunched up in the same way it does when he is pondering about something.

 

‘’They left right after I became eighteen so I figured I could make it on my own,’’ Donghyuck shrugs. ‘’At first, they were against it but they understood eventually that this was the place where I wanted to be.’’

 

‘’Donghyuck, you have to appeal,’’ Mark repeats, and Donghyuck agrees.

 

His home was here, in the cramped up dorm that was way to small for one person let alone two messy boys. His family might be miles away, but he had Mark and the rest of the team to compensate. Speaking of the team, the team was another core reason as to why he was so determined to stay. He was more than halfway into making his dreams become a reality — giving it up was simply not an option. Not when he could taste it at the tip of his tongue with the people he cherished the most.

 

‘’Yeah, I really have to.’’

 

Despite the current mess Donghyuck found himself in — the hustle never stopped. Mark woke him up every morning at five am sharp to jog around the dorms exactly four laps. The climate had just turned into a pleasant breeze, where the temperature lied perfectly between the lines of semi-lukewarm. He enjoys these particular mornings the most, so instead of finding the jog a burden, he found them very pleasing.

 

‘’I have a meeting with Immigration on Friday,’’ Donghyuck manages to get out between his elaborate breathing.

 

Mark abruptly stops on his tracks, making Donghyuck collide into him. ‘’Are you kidding?’’

 

The words go unnoticed to Donghyuck since he was too busy trying to catch his breath. He places his palm right above his knees and bends his body in half in hopes of calming down his heart rate. He can feel small drops of sweat traveling down his nape before disappearing inside his soaked t-shirt. The feeling is uncomfortable, but he welcomes it wholeheartedly anyhow. It’s a feeling of knowing that he is one step closer to his goal.

 

‘’Donghyuck?’’

 

Only then does Donghyuck remember that he had been asked a question. He angles his head upwards and shakes it slightly. ‘’No, I got the letter yesterday morning.’’

 

‘’What are you gonna tell them?’’ Mark asks, relatively tentative.

 

‘’I don’t know,’’ Donghyuck admits honestly. ‘’The truth I suppose, that’s all I have after all.’’

 

Mark screws up his face in wonder. He bites his lower lips briefly, before saying, ‘’You truth never worked before, I doubt it will work now.’’

 

At this point, the sweat prickling his back had dried down into a faux layer of skin on top of his actual skin. He has regained his posture long ago, making him stand tall right in front of Mark. At moments like these, he appreciates the fact that their height difference was next to minimal.

 

‘’What do you suggest I fucking do, Mark? Because by some miracle that I—, I don’t know, get fucking married to someone with a green card tomorrow there’s really nothing I can do but pray for the best.’’

 

The look on Mark’s face resembles a flickering light bulb that has finally gotten enough power to shine thoroughly. Donghyuck feels a pit form inside his chest by observing but lets his curiosity lean towards it anyway. ‘’That's it, Hyuck.’’

 

‘’That’s what?’’

 

‘’Donghyuck,’’ Mark takes a deep breath. His hands wrap around Donghyuck’s clammy ones tightly with his eyes set solely on Donghyuck’s own. ‘’Will you marry me?’’

 

Back when Donghyuck lived in Korea, his mother had brought him along to a tarot reading once. He can still point out the decorations of the small room if someone asked since the memory still lingered at the back of his mind like core memory. He had been nervous, especially since the lady was presumably older than not only his mother but grandmother as well. Donghyuck remembers that she had been really caring and nice; she even offered him a free reading because of his child-like wonder about the colorful cards. At this age, he knows that he had most definitely done the complete opposite of what a person should do during a reading, but the kind lady went along with it anyway. One thing he remembers is her saying was that his future marriage would be one similar to those in fairytales.

 

As far as he could tell, this situation as far from fairytales as one could come.

 

‘’What the fuck are you even saying, Mark Lee,’’ Donghyuck huffs out.

 

A middle-aged lady with a small child in her arms passing them by gives them a side eye. Donghyuck mutters out an apology for cursing as loud as he has, before turning his attention back to his (perhaps crazy) best friend.

 

‘’Marry me, Donghyuck. I have a green card, that’s what you need, isn’t it?’’

 

‘’This isn’t a joke, Mark,’’ Donghyuck heaves out, hurt prominent in his tone. He starts walking towards the direction of their dorm which is only around the corner.

 

Mark starts jogging beside him since Donghyuck had been foolish enough to pick up his pace when he’d noticed that Mark had started following him. ‘’I’m not joking either.’’

 

They continue with their half-jog, half-walk until they reach the stairs of their dorm complex. Thankfully, they had managed to score themselves a room on the second floor, which was a blessing on mornings like these where the aftermath of the jog laid heavy on their limbs.

 

Mark closes the door behind them and throws his keys on the one kitchen counter carelessly. ‘’So, what do you say?”

 

“Marriage isn’t a game, Mark. I don’t know if you know this, but it’s only people that are in love that get married usually, and we,” Donghyuck points towards Mark and back at himself repeatedly, “are not in love.”

 

“It’s hardly a challenge. We will just be two best bros that are married on documents. Who says marriage has to be romantic, anyway?”

 

Donghyuck knows Mark barely has any lacking points. He is smart enough to juggle between his education and captainship in their basketball team while prospering in both. Not only that, but he is also kind ass fuck and is overall a damn likable person. What he isn’t, however, is clever enough not to dive head first into unknown territory. Exhibit A; this situation right here.

 

Donghyuck tries to control the urge to throw a fit about how stupid this whole deal is, and he almost succeeds up until Mark gives him a lopsided smile.

 

“I’m not gonna fucking marry you for the sake of staying here, Mark. You should be dating other people, people you actually like and not be hitched up at twenty years old.”

 

“Then what are you going to do, Hyuck? I’m not willing to let you go back to Korea. Not now when we are so close to internationals. The team needs you,” Mark retaliates with just as much heat. His eyes are squinting in anger and his hands fidget with the edge of his t-shirt. “I need you,” he finally whispers softly, and all the heaviness slip out of him.

 

Donghyuck can hear his own breathing too loudly. It rings in his ears painfully, yet despite that, he tries to focus on the sound anyway. He darts his gaze away from Mark towards a random direction because as much as he loves confrontation, it never came easily with Mark for some reason.

 

“I’m sorry, Mark. I’ll figure something out, but it’s not this.”

 

Friday was nearing — fast. It doesn’t hit him until he is standing in the middle of the court, basketball bouncing on the floor below him. The sound of it mixed with all of their sneakers squelching against the floor is like an addiction to him.

 

Yet here he was, perhaps on his last days of hearing it.

 

He pauses and allows himself to take it in. The smell of plastic lingering in the air. His teammates' random conversations in between the rough practice they push themselves through. Mark and their coach, Johnny, sitting by the bleachers discussing their new formations and attack tactics.

 

“You seem out of it lately,” a voice next to him says. He turns around and gets greeted by Jaemin. He doesn’t look angry, in fact, he looks more concerned than anything.

 

“Rough week, I guess,” Donghyuck answers, and he permits himself to think that it isn’t exactly a lie. Perhaps half of one only.

 

Jaemin passes him a half-empty bottle of water, which he accepts with pleasure. He unscrews the cap the second his hands touch it and gulps down the content in less than a heartbeat.

 

“If you are worried about the championship, don’t be. Our team this year has been phenomenal, and it isn’t even me being biased. Have you read the articles? Everybody praises us,” Jaemin snickers, but there’s contentment layered between his words. “In four months we will be in France with the trophy held high over our heads. I can see it so vividly. You, me, and the rest of the team will all get us there, believe me.”

 

It’s so easy to get lost in the high. It’s easier to imagine them at the top of the mountain than to imagine them at the very rock bottom. Donghyuck wishes that he could tell Jaemin that that isn’t what he was fearing the most — but instead the fact that there is a big chance that he won’t experience it alongside them. That he will be nothing but a starving outsider looking into their room with a massive feast laid out.

 

He has never felt this left out before.

 

Donghyuck can’t help but glance towards Mark’s direction. He had moved back into the court with his own basketball in hand, now talking to Jeno and Yangyang about something that Donghyuck’s ears can’t pick up.

 

They barely spoke since yesterday after the whole marriage thing had happened. It wasn’t because of Mark, no — it was of course because of Donghyuck.

 

See, Donghyuck doesn’t fear marriage. One of his life goals is to eventually settle down with his own little family and hopefully a dog or two in some suburban area. He knows that that’s one of Mark’s goals too. If Donghyuck was family oriented, Mark was undoubtedly even more so. He visited his family as much as he could, called his mother every other day and texted his brother whenever he found some article he knew he would find enjoyment in.

 

That’s why he can’t rip that away from him. Sure, it would barely change anything since they are already living together and marriage was at the end of the day only a piece of paper — but Mark was a traditional guy. Donghyuck felt like a jerk for going against his values all for his own selfish reasons. Marriage was still marriage despite the circumstances.

 

It was almost as if a force told Mark that someone was thinking about him because suddenly his head shoots around until his eyes eventually land on Donghyuck. They share a long look before Jaemin interrupts it by stealing the basketball in Donghyuck’s hands.

 

“Stop looking so gloomy,” Jaemin whines and runs away with the ball. Donghyuck trails behind him with just as much speed.

 

“Donghyuck.”

 

 _Tomorrow is Friday_ , is the first thought that flashes through Donghyuck’s mind when he flutters his eyes open on Thursday morning. A far away voice repeats his name, this time closer. He rubs his eyes awake in hopes of evaporating the cloudiness that laid thick on him.

 

When he finally gathers enough power to sit up straight, he manages to rasp out a sleep infused, “Yeah?”

 

He gets greeted by Mark hovering around the doorway awkwardly. ‘’So, you know how Jaehyun is a lawyer?’’

 

Donghyuck nods. The sheets feel too warm and heavy around his skin so he pulls them away effortlessly. They drop on the floor beneath him but he pays it no mind. He can see Mark’s eyes following the movement before returning back to Donghyuck.

 

‘’I asked him some general questions about your situation. I never mentioned who it was about but I managed to get some solid answers for a change,’’ Mark says. He hesitantly moves further into the room, before settling down by Donghyuck’s legs at the edge of the bed.

 

‘’Why did you do that?’’ Donghyuck counters, low. The weight of his words lie thick on top of his shoulders and it reminds him of their brief argument the other day.

 

‘’Hyuck, we can sign the papers tomorrow and get married in a couple of weeks. You will eventually get your green card and stay here. When it all blows over we can get a divorce and forget it ever happened,’’ Mark rambles. As he talks his eyes become wider whilst his hands fly around the air.

 

‘’Why are you doing this?’’ Donghyuck sighs. ‘’You know that this isn’t going to be easy.’’

 

Mark sits up straighter. ‘’Because you are my best friend.’’

 

‘’Mark, I can’t force you to marry me just to keep me here, I can’t do that to you.’’

 

He can feel the fight inside of him slowly turning into dust. The words leaving his mouth are far different from what he actually wants, but what he wants to have isn’t what is most ideal for them, especially for Mark. This isn’t the first time that they had found themselves in the same situation where Mark has offered to step up just to save Donghyuck’s ass and for the first time, he really wants him to reconsider it.

 

‘’You aren’t forcing me to do anything, I’m offering,’’ Mark gives him a small smile. ‘’I promise.’’

 

‘’Are you sure that there is no other solution than to break the fucking law?’’

 

Mark laughs, shortly. ‘’I’m sure there is, but I know how much you like to spice up circumstances.’’

 

And Donghyuck can’t find it in himself to argue anymore. He throws his head back in laughter which Mark soon imitates. ‘’Fine.’’

 

‘’Okay?’’

 

Donghyuck takes a deep inhale. ‘’Okay.’’

 

The tension inside of their dorm is sharp as a knife in the morning on the meeting. Donghyuck can feel Mark’s eyes trail on him as he throws his hand-me-down suit jacket over his shoulders by the entrance of their dorm. He feels stiff, hell he probably looks the part as well.

 

‘’Donghyuck,’’ Mark says and wraps his hands comfortably around Donghyuck’s slim wrist. They stand there for a moment with their eyes searching for comfort within each other. ‘’It will go great, I’m gonna be there right beside you.’’

 

As they walk down to the bus stop, Donghyuck shortly remembers the minutes before their final game. Donghyuck was never the one to properly handle his nerves and thankfully Mark knew that very well. He remembers how Mark had pulled him to the side of their locker room and wrapped his arms around his shoulders in a silent hug. The action was small, but the impact was great.

 

This is no different, Donghyuck supposes. The situation might have been understandably unlike this one, but Mark’s ability to calm down his nerves was just the same.

 

‘’Mr. Lee?’’

 

Donghyuck shoots his head at the mention of his name. The receptionist he had spoken to just mere minutes ago was standing by the hallway that is lined with endless doors. Donghyuck nods in her direction and stands up with Mark right by his side.

 

The walk is silent, save for the receptionist’s heels that clash against the floor for each stride that she takes. She suddenly stops in front of a door that Donghyuck could recognize even if his eyes were shut tightly. No matter how many times he had found himself facing it, the deep feeling of uncertainty was still present.

 

‘’Good morning, Mr. Lee,’’ his Immigration agent, Sicheng Dong, says. His eyes are set on Mark, however, with prominent curiosity.

 

Donghyuck shakes his hand shortly before pointing at Mark with his whole hand. ‘’This is Mark Lee.’’

 

Mark and Sicheng shake hands as well before they all take a seat on the worn out (and ugly) chairs with Mark and Donghyuck on one side, and the agent on the other.

 

‘’So, I take it that you have appealed our decision,’’ Sicheng notes, his voice sounds more amused than the usual stern tone Donghyuck has gotten used to. Donghyuck nods, so Sicheng continues, ‘Donghyuck, to be honest with you I find it rather difficult to look through these documents again and find anything that will help your case. You are here illegally, there’s not much you can do.’’

 

‘’I’m sure those papers don’t say that Donghyuck and I are getting married,’’ Mark interrupts Sicheng.

 

Donghyuck knew that it was coming. They had spent the whole afternoon the day prior perfecting the plan, but that didn’t stop Donghyuck’s heart rate from accelerating the second those words left Mark’s mouth. He keeps his eyes set on Sicheng, just how they have practiced despite the chilling feeling washing over him.

 

‘’A fake marriage? Really?’’ Sicheng snorts out.

 

Donghyuck opens his mouth to speak, but Mark beats him to it. ‘’It’s not fake.’’

 

‘’It seems rather fishy for a lack of better word, that Donghyuck is suddenly getting married right after he receives his deportation papers. I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from, Mr. Lee.’’

 

‘’Timing just works like that, doesn’t it?’’ Donghyuck finally retaliates with the same bite.

 

Mark chuckles beside him. He lays a protective hand on the upper part of his thigh, yet his eyes are boring deep into Sicheng’s.

 

‘’How come you have never mentioned a boyfriend before?’’ Sicheng says. ‘’As I recall that topic has come up multiple times.’’

 

Donghyuck swallows. He turns his gaze for the first time to the side and meets Mark’s warm ones. He feels a heightened pressure on his thighs. ‘’I was never comfortable enough to share my sexuality with the world. Mark respected that, so we decided to keep it a secret for the time being.’’

 

Sicheng hums as his eyes flicker to Mark’s hand on Donghyuck’s thighs. He takes a moment to answer and when he finally does, there’s a hidden smile behind his words. ‘’I expect the proper paperwork and verification of your so-called relationship within a week. Let’s schedule a meeting for Friday to discuss how we shall proceed, are we clear?’’

 

Donghyuck and Mark nod in unison.

 

‘’The meeting will consist of individual interviews with the both of you where I ask you questions that only a real couple would be able to answer. I will continue on to ask your close friends and family similar questions and if the answers do not match up,’’ Sicheng points at Donghyuck directly, ‘’You will be deported to Korea indefinitely,’’ his finger moves to Mark direction, ‘’As for you Mark Lee, you will be arrested for committing fraud with the charge of five years in federal prison and a fine of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. So, shall we proceed?’’

 

The pair share a look before turning their eyes back to Sicheng. ‘’Yes.’’

 

Coming up with their back story isn’t nearly as difficult as Donghyuck had originally anticipated. After all, they did share a large part of their lives together as friends. All they had to do was add a couple of changes that would indicate that they were indeed romantically involved. They alternate some of their already existing memories; their first date becomes that one time Mark’s parents gifted Mark tickets to Game 5, their proposal becomes the night of them winning their championship.

 

Living together was a huge benefit, mostly because of the fact that some of the questions were based on their living conditions. They had to know the specifics about the colors of their sheets and even toothbrushes. Those questions usually came easily, and the questions about each other’s habits and personal favorites came even easier.

 

Donghyuck couldn’t help but fear the fact that it all seemed to come together in such a simple matter. He knew Mark’s favorite music and foods like the back of his palm, he never doubted that it was just the fact that there was a huge risk for them to slip up on something that would have seemed irrelevant at the moment.

 

‘’They are asking about our romantic past,’’ Mark notes and puts his laptop to the side. The questionnaire stares back at Donghyuck through the dim screen.

 

‘’Well, you already know everything,’’ Donghyuck shrugs.

 

Everything was too grand of a word, considering that his everything only consisted of one girlfriend in high school that lasted for a good six months and his casual fling with his teammate, Felix, back in freshman year that led nowhere.

 

Mark looks surprised. ‘’Do I?’’

 

Donghyuck laughs and nods in confirmation. ‘’Yup,’’ he says and pops the P. ‘’What about you?’’

 

‘’Well, there was Mina in middle school,’’ Mark starts with a soft smile. The two of them are still close to Mina, so it was more of a nostalgic memory than anything. Donghyuck still remembers how infatuated Mark had been with her, up until he realized that his feelings were strictly platonic. Oh, and that he was very much gay.

 

‘’Yukhei in high school,’’ Mark continues on. He grimaces in discomfort but shakes himself out of it before it engulfs him. ‘’And finally Jungwoo last year, but I don’t know if that counts.’’

 

Donghyuck giggles at the mention of Jungwoo which results in Mark throwing a pillow in his direction. He tries to cough away the laughter but fails when he remembers Mark’s face when he had realized that the only reason Jungwoo got close to him was because of his older brother, and not him.

 

‘’So you haven’t been hooking up with anyone?’’ Donghyuck questions when they settle down.

 

Mark shakes his head. ‘’Not really, I guess I’ve been too busy.’’

 

A silence settles down between them as they finish writing out the final touches of the paperwork. Donghyuck tries to shake away the uneasy feeling flowing through his veins, but all attempts to go avail. Mark answering the questions carefully with a deep frown on his lips doesn’t help the situation whatsoever either.

 

Donghyuck stands up from the beanbag by the corner of their living space and stretches out his limbs after he presses on _send_. A low groan leaves his lips as he reaches his hands as high as he possibly can. The action makes Mark’s eyes shoot towards him, but he ignores the interested gaze in order to get something to drink from their mini fridge.

 

There’s only a half-filled can of Pepsi, so he drowns it with one gulp. He wipes his mouth clean and throws the can in the trashcan by the door. It lands perfectly inside of it.

 

‘I can hear your thoughts all the way here.’’   

 

Donghyuck throws himself on the couch next to Mark with a sheepish smirk. ‘’What are they saying?’’

 

‘’You are still having doubts.’’

 

Donghyuck chews on his lips instead of answering. He leans back against the soft cushion of the couch and flutters his eyes close. Mark shifts next to him, but the warmth by his side never disappears — it only grows closer.

 

‘’I remember walking behind my parents and siblings down the aisle of the airport the day they left. They were talking about the things they would miss from here. Hina actually cried when she found out that Pop-tarts don’t exist in Korea.’’ Donghyuck chuckles without humor. ‘’I don’t know what came over me, the things they mentioned were so simple, yet I couldn’t help but think that each one of those things is so important to me. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve always known that there is a chance that I might lose it all.’’ Donghyuck opens his eyes and meets Mark’s own. ‘’But now, there is a big chance that it will all work out. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but you make it so hard, Mark.’’

 

Mark places his hand on Donghyuck’s ankle that thrown haphazardly on his thigh. He gives him the same reassuring smile that has painted his lips quite often these past days. ‘’I’ll make sure you will never be without Pop-tarts, Hyuck.’’

 

One thing that managed to slip through Donghyuck’s mind is telling their friends. It was one thing to announce that they were romantically involved, but they had to announce that they were actually getting married. It only dawns to him when they are shooting some hoops in the basketball court in the playground by their dorm. They as in Mark, Jaemin, Jeno, Felix, Hyunjin and him. 

 

‘’Mark,’’ Donghyuck whispers as he grabs a hold of Mark’s tank top. Mark stops in his motions and shoots a raised eyebrow in his direction as an answer. They were the only ones on the left side of the court while Jaemin and Hyunjin were too busy deciding the teams by the center of it. ‘’Should we tell them about us?’’

 

Donghyuck is thankful for the fact that Mark seems to be on the same page as him as he agrees right away. ‘’We can’t tell them the truth though, it’s too much of a risk.’’

 

‘’You want us to lie to our friends?’’

 

‘’Just to be safe. We have to make it as believable as we possibly can,’’ Mark says in a voice that resembles the one he uses when he puts on his captain role.

 

All Donghyuck can do is offer a nod and a shy smile. Mark returns the nod and turns to their friends. ‘’Guys, there’s something Donghyuck and I have to tell you.’’

 

Donghyuck whips his head toward Mark the second the words leave his mouth. He hadn’t expected them to share the ‘’news’’ so suddenly. He jogs right behind Mark as they near the small crowd that consisted of their friends in the middle of the court. When they reach their friends, Mark's fingers grab a hold of his sticky ones.

 

‘’We are getting married.’’

 

The world never experiences a second of silence. If it wasn’t humans speaking, it was the birds singing or the waves dancing. But there was never silence, up until this moment in Donghyuck’s short life. It was as if the air stole every soundwave that dared to invade its space. Donghyuck studies the reactions of his friends with tentative eyes as each of their facial features resembles the stretched out silence.

 

Then Jaemin laughs and the spell is broken. ‘’Sure. Anyway, Felix, Hyunjin, and Mark in one team and the rest of us are in the other,’’ he dismisses and bounces the ball against the chilly concrete.

 

‘’Jaemin, I’m serious,’’ Mark insists. His jaw clenched tightly similar to the way his hand is around Donghyuck’s ever so slightly smaller one.

 

Jeno is the one that speaks this time with an intrigued voice. ‘’You guys aren’t even dating, how the fuck are you getting married?’’

 

‘’We had to hide our relationship, I’m sorry,’’ Donghyuck says, and he dares to look guilty. He feels ill at the thought of lying to his friends. Knowing that it was for the greater good should ease up on the feeling, but it only makes him feel worse when his friends look at him the way that they do.

 

‘’Well, if this is true then I’m happy for you guys,’’ Felix says with an awkward chuckle.

 

Jaemin and Jeno share a look before shrugging, resulting in the thick tension disbursing. Jeno shoots the basketball at the hoop and the conversation is over. At least for now.

 

The game is laid back compared to what they usually opt to play. They allow themselves a couple of bad throws and misses without any regret. Donghyuck always appreciated days like these, especially now when there’s so much weight on his shoulders.

 

He feels the breeze drift through his body as he runs around in the court, doing what he loves the most. He cracks up in laughter when Felix accidentally steps wrong and lands flat on his ass, before running up to help him. When two professors from the math department pass by the court, Mark dares to challenge them for a game, which they surprisingly accept with enthusiasm. The professors lose by three points, but when they bid the boys goodbye with bright smiles and sweat running down their temples, Donghyuck wonders if that lose even stung at all.

 

Only when the sun is shining by the horizon does the group decide to return back to their rooms. Despite being semi-professional basketball players, they still had to take care of their studies in some way.

 

As they gather up their gear, Jaemin nudges Donghyuck’s body with his shoulder. ‘’I can’t say that I’m surprised. I always knew that there was something going on with the two of you, but I never figured it was this serious.’’

 

‘’What do you mean?’’ Donghyuck replies as he pulls up the zipper to his (Mark’s) grey hoodie.

 

Jaemin smiles, large. ‘’I see the way you look at each other, it’s too real not to be true.’’

 

All Donghyuck can reply with is a short _huh_. He looks over to Mark that is currently emptying out the now warm water on the grass by the court. A part of him wishes he could see how he looks at him, and see how it’s different for the way he looks at others.

 

‘’Anyway, I’m glad you got your shit together,’’ Jaemin finalizes with a soft punch on his bicep. He takes off before Donghyuck could question him.

 

Donghyuck is lying on the couch with his left hand buried deep in some ‘’healthy’’ chips Jaehyun had recommended to them. They taste like utter shit but at least it’s something to clench his need for snacks. The old TV they had placed on top the small table they had found by the elevator the day they moved in is playing some old episodes of The 70’s Show. Donghyuck is too lazy to change the channel so he lets it run.

 

‘’Hey, are you hungry?’’ Mark walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his lower half. There’s still some droplets of water scattered around his pale skin that creep lower and lower each moment that passes. Donghyuck casts his eyes away before a blush threatens to caress his cheeks.

 

He points instead at the bag of chips in his hands with a grin. ‘’What are you thinking?’’

 

Mark glances at the bag and mimics his grin as well. ‘’Burgers?’’

 

‘’Hell yeah.’’

 

The takeout arrives no less than twenty minutes later. Donghyuck pays, mostly because he feels like he owes Mark too much these days. The meal is mostly silent. The only noise comes from Michael and Jackie arguing on the TV about Michael hooking up with another girl. It’s there for comic relief, but neither Mark or Donghyuck laugh one bit.

 

‘’Since we will technically be married, what will happen to our love life?’’ Donghyuck suddenly asks when the burger in his hands has turned into a thin crescent shape. He places it on the plate that is wobbling on the arm of the couch since his appetite seems to have evaporated.

 

Mark thinks about the question for the time being as he chews quietly for himself. He swallows the food in his mouth and scratches his chin. ‘’If you want to date, I guess you have to be really lowkey about it, at least until this whole thing cools down,’’ his voice sounds the same as it always does, but Donghyuck can pick up a waver in the end.

 

‘’I’m not planning on dating anyone,’’ Donghyuck honestly answers. It hasn’t been on his mind before, and it sure as hell isn’t on his mind right now. ‘’I’m asking for your sake, after all, I’m the one that is dragging you down with me in this bullshit.’’

 

‘’Stop saying that, you aren’t dragging me down,’’ Mark says, sounding hurt.

 

The episode playing on the TV is nearing the end as the end credits roll down. Donghyuck focuses on it, even if his brain can’t seem to be able to pick up any of the names. He can feel Mark fidget beside him, and he wishes that he could offer him some sort of consolation but they have had this conversation a thousand times and no matter how hard he tries to not feel bad about it, he can’t help it.

 

Not only is Mark a great person, but he was an even better friend and captain. He helped Donghyuck through high school by tutoring him through every class, in exchange for basketball lessons. Mark often mentions how Donghyuck is the reason that he fell in love with basketball, but was that enough? The best thing about their relationship is how well they balance each other out, yet Donghyuck cannot help but wonder if he does anything near as much as Mark does for him.

 

‘’I won't date anyone,’’ Mark says when a commercial about some travel agency starts playing. “I’m yours for the time being.”

 

Donghyuck feels the way his heart skips a beat — the same way it has done back in the Immigration office and even in the court. Both of the times Mark had announced that they were getting married. The feeling isn’t foreign to him, but it’s an unknown feeling when it’s directed to Mark. He toys with the thought for a second before he shoots it down immediately.

 

‘’I guess you are stuck with me then, Mark Lee,’’ Donghyuck exhales all the worries away.

 

Mark smiles so big that his eyes disappear into his cheekbones. ‘’I guess I am.’’

 

Mark has only been the captain of their team for one season. After Jaehyun had graduated, Johnny had handed the captain title down to Mark. It became a running joke, how the two brothers managed to have the prideful title back to back, but everyone knew it was for solid reasons. Jaehyun had been a strong pillar for their team. He built it up with the help of Johnny and when Mark took over all he had to do was give the team that one final push that drove them into success.

 

Their team is all relatively on the same level, so objectively speaking it doesn’t matter who has the title. But being a good leader wasn’t just about basketball skill, Donghyuck has grown to realize. Mark was unquestionably great on the court, but there was so much more to him. It was his selflessness and his ability to hold up the team no matter what, both things that Donghyuck truly admired about him.

 

Donghyuck often forgets just how strong of a leader Mark is until they have their games, or when they have meetings to discuss the future of their team. Like this one for example.

 

“We have been playing around for a week now guys, which is of course well earned. I think all of us has earned some downtime to cool off, but it’s game time again. All of us need to put one hundred percent energy into training the upcoming weeks which means that I need you guys to put your heads back into the game.”

 

The entirety of the team lets out a loud _yes_ , which Mark seems pleased about. He rolls out a board from the small office linked to the gymnasium and places it right in the center of the vicinity, where all the players are gathered around. On the board is a number of scribbles to which Mark has done to represent their new game tactics and line up.

 

Donghyuck takes in every word he says. He feels pride collect inside his chest as he watches Mark speak with enthusiasm and certainty about the future events that will unfold. Mark looks over each of the teammates with so much confidence like he knows that they will make it.

 

When his eyes finally land on Donghyuck, he stays there for a while. He is talking about their defense strategy, but his eyes seem to be somewhere else. Donghyuck doesn’t break the eye contact, in fact, he savors it as much as he possibly can.

 

Then, Mark breaks into a small smile. He catches himself before it grows wider and moves on to the rest of the teammates with a short cough.

 

The moment lingers at the back of Donghyuck’s mind for hours, even after practice has ended and he was underneath the cold water of the showers in the locker room trying to wash off the thick layer of sweat on his skin.

 

“Do you remember Minseok?” Mark asks over the microwaved leftover dinner placed on top of the coffee table in the middle of their living room. They were too lazy to sit on the couch, so they just leaned back against it while seated on the floor with their slightly dry chicken breasts and pea filled plates laid out in front of them.

 

“Your cousin right?” Donghyuck asks while chewing.

 

“Yeah, he’s getting married next weekend. He invited me over.”

 

Donghyuck hums. “Are you going?”

 

“I was planning on it,” Mark confirms. He scoops a couple of peas up and throws them into his mouth. “They have hired an entire castle and everything allegedly.”

 

“Oh, wow,” Donghyuck says, surprised.

 

There seems to be something else Mark wants to say, but it’s almost as if he doesn’t know how to formulate his words. Donghyuck observes him as he opens and closes his mouth for a couple of times until he heaves out a; “Do you want to tag along?”

 

“To the wedding?” Donghyuck can’t even bother to hide his amusement. Donghyuck has met a large number of people from Mark’s family since they had grown up together and all. Mark’s mother was always the one for the extravaganza, so their celebrations were always over the top with a lot of people invited. He had been invited to a few as well, mostly because Mark felt too bored between all the grownups there, but Donghyuck figured the invites would stop now that they were both grown enough and Mark wouldn’t need someone to keep him entertained.

 

“I guess it will be a good time to announce our engagement as well, don’t you think? Most of my family will be there, it will just be faster that way.”

 

“Alright. I’m sure it will be fun.”

 

The next meeting with the Immigration agent arrived far too quickly for Donghyuck’s liking. He knows that this might be the most important meeting he will ever attend, which gives him all the more reason to stress.

 

There was so much on the line here, not only for him but Mark as well. They have their story memorized and every single detail about each other well imprinted in their minds — there was no way they could screw this up.

 

“Mr. Lee?”

 

Donghyuck nods and walks down the same aisles he has just a week ago, this time with more determination. He walks into the office with Mark right beside him as a supporting anchor. They sit down on the same old chairs with smiles on their faces.

 

“Great seeing you again,” Sicheng says, and the statement sounds honest.

 

“You too, Mr. Dong,” Donghyuck says with a small bow.

 

Sicheng smiles, with a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Let’s skip the small talk and cut to the chase, shall we?”

 

A female walks into the office on cue, with a stack of paper in her hands. He recognizes the look of it, it’s the printed out version of the questionnaire they had to fill out a couple of days ago.

 

“I’m going to be interviewing Mr. Lee, while my coworker will be interviewing, well — you Mr. Lee,” Sicheng chuckles at the situation surrounding their names.

 

Mark stands up from his seat and turns around at the lady standing by the door. He greets her politely before following her trail out of the room, but not before giving Donghyuck one final squeeze on his shoulder.

 

“Okay, Donghyuck, tell me about how you and Mark got together,” Sicheng speaks when the _click_ of the door fills the room. He has his eyes on the files in front of him, but he can tell his ears are listening carefully for his words.

 

“Well, we’ve been friends ever since Mark transferred to my middle school. We quickly became friends because he was the only other Korean in my grade. Our friendship just progressed until our senior year of high school when Mark’s parents got him tickets for Game 5. After the game, I confessed to Mark that I had feelings for him and we started dating,” Donghyuck says, confidently. He smiles at the memories of the day. It had been one of the greatest days of his life, and he almost feels weird for butchering it for the sake of lying to the government.

 

Sicheng takes down a couple of notes and asks the next question. “How did you get engaged?”

 

Donghyuck clears his throat. “It was after the finale of the nationals championship. We had just won and the adrenaline was so high that Mark just popped the question on our walk home underneath the moonlight. Said he couldn't wait any longer.”

 

“That sudden?” Sicheng asks.

 

“There’s no one I can see myself with, why wait?” Donghyuck responds.

 

“Aren’t you guys a little too young for marriage?”

 

The question takes Donghyuck off guard since it hadn’t been written down on the questionnaire. He feels himself chewing the inside of his cheek and his brain buzzes around for any possible answer that would seem fitting, especially if Mark was going to be asked the same question.

 

“As I said, there’s no one else I can imagine myself with. I’ve already spent such a large part of my life with him, I know I want to spend the rest of it with him as well,” Donghyuck breaths out, and it doesn’t feel like too much of a lie.

 

The words lie heavy in the atmosphere of the room. He can tell that Sicheng is trying to study him by taking in his reaction to the spontaneous question, but whatever he is looking for he must have found because Sicheng moves on rather quickly. “I’m going to ask you some intimate question now, and compare your answers with Mark’s to see the legitimacy of your relationship.”

 

When Donghyuck nods, Sicheng begins.

 

“What’s your favorite song?”

 

“Thriller by Michael Jackson.”

 

“What color is Mark’s toothbrush?”

 

“Blue.”

 

“What colors are your sheets?”

 

Donghyuck thanks the lord that they had the same color bedding, “Black.”

 

“What did you do for Christmas last year?”

 

Donghyuck chuckles. “It was the first Christmas without my parents here. He didn’t want to make me feel lonely so he stayed in the dorms as well since I was too broke to buy a plane ticket to visit his parents.”

 

“When is the anniversary of your first kiss?”

 

The question makes Donghyuck blush, furiously. He ducks his head in appearing embarrassment and tries not to overthink the question. “Uh, June 14th.”

 

“You live together, correct? How are the chores divided?”

 

“I take care of the kitchen. I cook when we don’t get takeout. He cleans the rest of the rooms. During Sunday’s we wash the bathroom together.”

 

“What did you do yesterday night?”

 

“After practice, we went home and showered. After that, we had some dinner, lasagna, while watching the old Spiderman movies.”

 

“How is Mark’s relationship with his parents?”

 

Donghyuck starts to feel somewhat uncomfortable when he realizes that the questions were starting to become personal again. He tries not to let it peek through, though. “Amazing. His relationship with all of his family is very good.”

 

“What’s your biggest dream?”

 

Donghyuck thinks for a moment. He knows it’s a trick question, but he has an honest answer anyway. “To win the international league with Mark right by my side.”

 

Sicheng grins for the first time since the interview started. He leans back again the chair, somewhat relaxed.

 

“Why did you hide your relationship?”

 

Donghyuck repeats the same thing he told the agent back in their first meeting. “I wasn’t comfortable enough with my sexuality. Mark figured right away since he didn’t even know that I was bisexual. When I told him how I felt he respected that and told me that he would stay by my side until I felt ready.”

 

“Are you ashamed of your sexuality?”

 

“No,” Donghyuck answers, honestly. The part of being uncomfortable about his sexuality wasn’t far from the truth, but he had accepted it many years ago with the help of his friends and family.

 

“What’s Mark’s favorite food?”

 

Donghyuck feels whiplash at the change of pace when it came to the questions, and he knows it’s all Sicheng’s doing. He tries to follow along with the pace without any hiccups, and so far he is pretty much up to pace.

 

“He will tell you watermelon, but does that even count as food?” Donghyuck snickers. A flashback of them fighting in Mark’s backyard back in their junior year of high school about this exact same topic flashes through his mind. Somehow it calms him down.

 

“Have you gone on vacation together?”

 

“Only trips around the country with our team for games. And that one time our families went camping in the woods. Oh, and we are going to his cousin's wedding tomorrow.”

 

Sicheng finishes writing his notes and gives Donghyuck one final smile. “How did you realize that you were in love with him?”

 

“What?” Donghyuck sputters out. His reaction seems to have caught Sicheng’s attention as he leans forward against the desk. He places his elbows on top of the pile of now filled papers. He repeats the question, with a more determined voice.

 

Donghyuck sits quietly as his brain rushes. He hates how Sicheng is toying with him with unexpected questions, especially since they are so private. Donghyuck doesn’t know where to search inside himself for a bullshit answer. He has seen countless of romance movies, he should know those clichè words by heart. Yet nothing seems to fit, it’s too narrow or way too broad.

 

“Mr. Lee?” Sicheng says, the honorifics suddenly reappearing back on his tongue.

 

“Mark is really selfless, I quickly realized that as a kid. I had no one to talk to since my English was still poor at that time, but he came along and I found a friend. I guess as I grew older I understood that Mark was a special part of me. Being with him, seeing him smile was more than enough to make my day. When my parents said that they were going to return back to Korea, he was one of the biggest reasons as to why I stayed. I guess I never realized that I was in love with him because I might have always been.”

 

Mark walks up to him the second he leaves the office. “How did it go?”

 

“It went well,” Donghyuck says — hopes. He grabs a hold of Mark’s arm and drags him out of the claustrophobic building. Mark sprints beside him without a word as they make their way downtown.

 

Donghyuck finally stops in front of a smoothie stand and orders them two drinks; mango for Mark and lemon for himself.

 

He feels grateful that Mark doesn’t mention the meeting. Each second that passes as they make their way back home to the dorms, this time on foot, is another step closer to losing the nerves that have now dimmed down to a slow wave inside his veins. They walk side by side with smoothies in each hand as they talk about everything but today’s events.

 

Donghyuck is so engrossed in their conversation about the latest Marvel movie, that he doesn’t realize that Mark has shifted the direction of their path. Instead of going back home, Donghyuck finds himself by the arcade store they sometimes visit during their breaks.

 

“Wanna go for a couple of rounds?” Mark challenges, with a crooked smirk.

 

“Are you sure you are up for losing?” Donghyuck darts his tongue out with a wink. “Again?” He fuels on.

 

Mark does nothing else but smile. He pushes the door to dark vicinity open and walks inside, with Donghyuck in toe.

 

Donghyuck always loved the atmosphere inside the arcade. The sound of the artificial fights and bullet sounds fill the area and ignite the special competitive side inside of him. He lets himself get lost beneath the thousands of neon lights coming from the different machines as they walk deeper and deeper into the room.

 

They have long ago established a routine. At first, they start off small by playing a round of PAC-man each just to get their engines running. Then, they proceeded to play Streetfighter. Donghyuck always feels bad for the other visitors since they can get pretty (note; very) loud during those games. Mark isn’t much of a gamer but he has a competitive side inside of him as well, so he puts up a rather good fight. With the money they have left they finish off by playing a couple of rounds of Super Mario Kart.

 

“Let me be Mario this time, you lost during Streetfighter,” Donghyuck whines when he sees Mark’s controller moving towards the direction of the character.

 

“Early bird catches the worm,” Mark shrikes as Donghyuck tries to tackle his side in order to make him lose focus. Donghyuck fails last minute as Mark presses down on the character.

 

“Dickhead,” Donghyuck says, without much bite. He doesn’t feel too bad when he presses down on Yoshi, especially since Mark gives him a beam that shines brighter than the screen in front of them.  

 

“Oh my god,” Mark has his hands over his mouth as the number one flashes beside Mario against the screen. He darts his head between the screen and Donghyuck a couple of times before he lets out a loud howl that is the complete opposite of Donghyuck that is totally stunned.

 

“I fucking won?” Mark laughs out and bounces on the chair he was currently sitting on. He proceeds to stand up and starts waving his hands around in what looks like a dance, Donghyuck can’t honestly tell.

 

“You cheated,” Donghyuck accuses, as he stares back at the screen with a mocking two next to his character.

 

“Don’t be lame, Donghyuck. I won fair and square.”

 

Donghyuck is about to retaliate when the cashier by the registers asks them to keep it down with a feed up voice. He bites down on his tongue and feels jittery when he watches Mark continue on with his dance, this time in silence.

 

The smile on their faces doesn’t leave even when they bid each other good night later that day. 


	2. Chapter 2

“The train leaves in two hours, come on man.”

 

The clock hanging crookedly above the door to his room indicate that it was just past five am. Donghyuck curses under his breath as he pulls himself out of bed with a substantial amount of struggle. He walks out of the room without bothering to put on a shirt or pants as he greets Mark with a hoarse _good morning_. Mark greets him back with just as much enthusiasm, or a lack thereof.

 

While he brushes his teeth, Mark walks into the bathroom to gather their toiletries. Donghyuck barely manages to wash off the excess toothpaste off of his toothbrush before Mark pulls it out of his hands in order to put it in the tiny plastic bag they decided to share.

 

Thankfully, they folded up their clothes the night before in order to save some time but also spare them from the stress. The trip itself was only for two days, and most of the time they would be wearing suits so they barely had to ponder over their attire. Donghyuck is just grateful that he decided to bring along his graduation suit to the dorms just in case any special occasion would occur. Like this one.

 

“Mark, let’s eat something,” Donghyuck says, already sounding more awake. He opens up the fridge and pulls out the freshly bought carton of milk. The corn flakes that he is craving are in the cabinet above the fridge, so he pulls that out as well.

 

“Thanks,” Mark smiles as Donghyuck hands him his own bowl.

 

They eat in silence. They haven’t bothered to put on the TV, and Donghyuck was too exhausted to engage in conversation. The only noise came from their spoons hitting their bowl since the entire world outside of their window was still drowsy as well.

 

“You ready?” Mark says after they had washed off their utensils and put on some decent clothes. Donghyuck gives him a quick overview and finds himself smiling. The outfit was simple, a pair of black jeans and a pastel blue dress shirt, but he looked so dapper nevertheless. His own outfit wasn’t much different, except that he had decided to wear a dusty pink shirt with denim jeans instead.

 

“Let’s go.”

  


The train ride duration was approximately six hours if everything goes as planned. The actual wedding was going to be held at eight pm, so they had more than enough time to settle in and get themselves ready when they would arrive.

 

Mark, that had claimed that he barely slept due to an essay he had to finish, fell asleep the second the train started to move. He’d always been a fast sleeper, especially when he was exhausted. Donghyuck, on the other hand, had difficulty falling asleep in unknown places, whether it was trains or fancy hotel beds.

 

The train company provides WiFi thankfully, so there was at least some sort of entertainment available while his best friend was too busy being a traitor. Donghyuck couldn't help but glance at Mark’s sleeping state from time to time in pure jealousy, wishing he had the same blessing Mark had.

 

At some point, Donghyuck started to feel bad about the angle Mark was sleeping in. He had his head uncomfortably leaning against the door of the cabin, so he does what every nice friend would do and rests Mark’s head against his shoulder instead to produce some sort of comfort. Mark stirs for a second, making Donghyuck hold his breath until his breathing returns back to the steady rhythm it was in.

 

The landscape shifts outside of the window steadily. The tall skyscrapers shift into the outskirts of the town before settling in on endless and endless of open fields. They pass by a village or two along the way but other than that it stays the same old green grass trailing beside them.

 

It’s by the three-hour mark that Mark finally lets out a soft sound. Donghyuck directs his attention towards the boy leaning against him and smiles at the sight he sees. Mark still has his eyes closed, but they flutter in a way that indicates that he is starting to regain consciousness.

 

It’s then that the thought crashes into him. Mark Lee is so beautiful.

 

Donghyuck knows that his best friend is pleasing to the eye, he isn’t blind nor oblivious. Mark’s build is to die for with his leans muscles and long legs — but that’s different from right now. He has thought that he is attractive, even described him as hot but never beautiful. That word seems to be in a level of depth that shouldn’t be between two friends, yet that’s the only word Donghyuck can find himself describing Mark as at this moment right here.

 

The sun is too high up the sky to fully be able to reach the window of the train, but the light still manages to sneak its way inside to settle itself right on top of Mark’s cheekbones. They shimmer, they actually gleam with small drops of glitter and Donghyuck has to hold himself back from reaching out for it.

 

Honey brown eyes met Donghyuck’s before he snaps out of his trace. Mark beams right away with a wide smile and doesn’t seem to know about the internal conflict Donghyuck was currently experiencing. He doesn’t even make an attempt to move, only snuggles further into Donghyuck’s shoulder.

 

‘’How long was I out?’’ Mark asks, with a sleep infused voice.

 

‘’Three hours,’’ Donghyuck responds. His eyes never leave Mark’s, almost as if he was enchanted.

 

Mark groans while rubbing his face. ‘’Sorry for leaving you alone.’’

 

‘’It’s okay. I finished my sociology report and started watching some random Netflix documentary.’’

 

‘’Let me watch it with you,’’ Mark says and leaves Donghyuck shoulder in order to snatch one of his earbuds. He presses the play button and the documentary continues right where he had left off.

 

Donghyuck finds himself missing the weight on his shoulder as the spot feels both too cold and too empty for the rest of the trip.

  
  


‘’Mark!’’

 

Donghyuck watches as Jaehyun embraces Mark in a long-lasting hug. He can pick up some murmur between their delighted chuckles. He can see the pure happiness in their eyes as they part away with smiles as bright as can be. The scene makes a warm sensation spread from Donghyuck’s heart all the way to the tips of his fingers.

 

“Donghyuck, I missed you,” Jaehyun greets him and pulls him in for a hug that’s almost as crushing as the one he had shared with Mark just moments ago.

 

“How was the trip?” Jaehyun asks as they carry their cabin bags into the black SUV he had allegedly borrowed from their cousin. The bags are light, so they manage to get them settled into the truck of the car without any struggle.

 

“I slept most of it but it was fine. The cabin was so comfortable,” Mark answers and jumps into the front passenger seat. As the words leave his mouth, he catches Donghyuck’s eye with a small smirk.

 

The rest of the drive goes in the same fashion where the men catch up about the past few months of their lives. It’s mostly Jaehyun that does the talking since he is the one that lives miles away from them but Donghyuck and Mark listen attentively to every anecdote he shares with them during the short drive.

 

“Everyone is really excited to meet you, you know? Grandma kept on complaining about how you never visit,” Jaehyun says as he is parking the car in front of the largest mansion Donghyuck has ever seen.

 

He looks in one of the review mirrors to find Mark slightly pouting. It was common knowledge that Mark has deep regrets about not being able to visit his family members as much as he likes and Donghyuck almost wants to smack Jaehyun for bringing it up.

 

“I’m sorry, you know how stressful basketball has been,” Mark says with a regretful voice.

 

Jaehyun gives him an understanding smile before pulling his seatbelt loose in order to jump out of the car. “Don’t worry about it, at least you are here now.”

 

As they walk up to the porch, Donghyuck feels smaller and smaller. He can’t help but gape at how the mansion towered over them. It felt almost intimidating. Not only was the mansion grand, but the aesthetic of it played a part as well. It was painted in a stark white color, with black and gold details. The bright colors radiate against the noon sun like a battle of whom can shine the brightest. Everything seemed too spotless and calculated, from the thick paint to the perfectly trimmed hedges surrounding the house. Hell, even the water in the fountain placed right in front of the large entrance dances perfectly on the surface.

 

“This can’t be real,” Donghyuck gasps out.

 

Mark seems to be just as surprised with his familiar eyes wide open and his mouth slightly ajar. Donghyuck can see from the corner of his eyes that Jaehyun is watching them with an entertained look.

 

“Uncle hired it, said that the hotels around here were too shitty for his _lovely_ family. Only our closest family could fit inside the mansion though, so the rest of the guests had to go to some hotel on the outskirts of the village. Consider yourself lucky, Hyuck.”

 

 _Lucky_ feels like the greatest understatement of the century. The more fitting word would be intimidated but in the most pleasant way possible. The house in front of them seems like something out of a novel, and who doesn’t want to live lavishly even if it was temporary?

 

“Mark? Is that you?”

 

The moment gets broken when the friendly face of Mark’s grandmother peeks through the large door. The scene looks like a doll inside of a normal sized house because of the generous size difference between them.

 

“Grandma,” Mark excitedly exhales and runs up to the porch, bag long forgotten. He collides into the smaller body of his grandmother with a warm embrace and laughter that reach Donghyuck’s ears easily. The sensation he experienced at the train station with Jaehyun and Mark’s embrace makes a return, this time in a tenfold. Even if he is so far away from the scene, he can still pick up the twinkle in Mark’s eyes as his grandmother proceeds to smother his cheeks in kisses that leave red marks all over him due to her well-known red lipstick.

 

“Don’t be shy, Donghyuck. Come give your grandma some hugs,” she finally says when Mark manages to escape her tight embrace. Donghyuck is right by her side before she manages to finish her sentence.

 

The rest of the greetings go in the same fashion; endless of hugs and some kisses from uncles and aunts. All in all, they were greeted with pure happiness until the very last hug for the time being.

 

The smile on Mark’s face is tattooed on his skin and it dawns to Donghyuck that he has almost never seen Mark this ecstatics before. It’s a good look on him, he thinks as he watches Mark throw his head back in a howl when his younger cousin, Jisung, shares a story about how their grandmother put salt instead of sugar in their grandfathers coffee after he had said that Downtown Abbey was a useless show.

 

Their lively conversations have to be cut short, as the time for the wedding was growing closer. Each family member vanished into their own designated room to get ready and dressed for the festivities.

 

“Sorry, I know how hectic this must be for you,” Mark says the second they finally get some alone time. They are walking down the hallway where their shared room is supposed to be with the help of Jaehyun’s directions.

 

“It’s okay. I’m just happy you get to be with your family again,” Donghyuck answers with a sincere smile.

 

Mark smiles right back at him as the worried wrinkles around his forehead smooth down. He runs his hands through Donghyuck’s arm in an innocent matter with the hand that wasn’t carrying his bag. Their conversation ends for the time being when they spot the room Jaehyun had mentioned.

 

“Oh, uh.”

 

Before Donghyuck gets a chance to take the remarkable room in, he notices perhaps the first and perhaps the biggest obstacle of the trip.

 

“We can share, right?” Mark voices and waves his hands as to downsize the situation. He wiggles his eyebrows in a joking matter and cracks up over his own behavior.

 

In front of them is a king sized bed with more pillows than Donghyuck could count. The bed matches the theme of the rest of the house — elegant and slightly over the top (in his opinion). He can pick up three different sheets, each one more flashy than the other with small pearls and silver strands. The bed was large indeed, but so was the rest of the room so it all corresponds together nicely.

 

“Like old times?” Donghyuck teases.

 

“Like old times,” Mark grins, widely. He puts his bag next to the vanity and takes his shoes off hastily. Before Donghyuck could question his actions, Mark runs up to the bed and throws himself on it. He falls face first, leading him to groan out in what seems to be satisfactory.

 

Donghyuck snorts loudly before following his trail. He falls just beside Mark, with his left arm landing on top of Mark’s back.

 

They lay there for a moment or two; Mark with his face squished against the sheets while Donghyuck was too busy staring at the ceiling. They could hear voices coming from the hallway outside, most of them being relatively easy to distinguish. He knows that they should eventually get up to shower and get ready, but the bed feels like a mother’s hug wrapped around him. He just can’t seem to find it in him to pull himself up, not when the scene tugs in his heart because of the nostalgia.

 

“We should get moving,” Mark’s muffled voice speaks out suddenly. Donghyuck whines at his words as he tightens his arm around Mark’s waist in order to keep him in place.

 

“Just a little bit,” he whispers and closes his eyes to savor the short moments of relaxation. He can hear Mark’s muffled laughter from his place above the sheets.

 

“Let go of me, I need to shower,” Mark demands, but doesn’t make a single move to get himself loose from Donghyuck’s tight grip. Donghyuck doubts that he would have any struggle to get himself free, and figures that’s just his rational side talking even if his irrational part was doing all the acting.

 

“No,” Donghyuck deadpans. He turns his head just in time to see Mark eyeing him with a hidden smile. He returns it right away.

 

“Come on, Hyuck. Can you get our suits laid out while I go shower?”

 

Donghyuck groans in defeat and lifts his suddenly heavy body out of the bed. Mark is on his feet not two seconds later, this time with slightly tousled hair. When Donghyuck gives him a nod in confirmation, Mark unbuttons his dress shirt and pants before walking into the en suite in order to wash off the exhaustion from his bones.

 

Donghyuck’s catches his own eyes lingering on Mark's bare back for longer than they should have and he doesn’t notice until the bathroom door falls shut.

  


They manage to shower relatively fast by taking fifteen-minute showers each. When Donghyuck walks out of the pleasant shower, he finds Mark already in his dress pants and half unbuttoned shirt. His hair is roughly dried down with the help of an already forgotten towel. Donghyuck can tell because of the way it’s standing in all different directions. He almost reaches out to put each hair strand in its original position but fights against it.

 

The sun was slowly starting to set, leaving an orange cast around the room. Small rays of sunshine swirl around the room in all different shades of yellow and orange. It’s pretty, especially since they manage to leave a small sheen on top of Mark’s skin. The scene feels too surreal — actually, the whole situation feels so surreal. He has grown adjusted to being domestic with Mark, but in some way, this was all too intimate in the way they walk around each other in their shared room about to go to a wedding of all things.

 

‘’Can I use your cologne? I forgot mine at home,’’ Mark asks and pulls Donghyuck from his questionable thoughts. He sputters for a moment but nods nonetheless. Mark gives him a look with raised eyebrows but shrugs eventually and dabs the misk around his neck.

 

‘’You should style your hair back,’’ Donghyuck finds himself saying by the time he is finished dressing up. ‘’It makes you look handsome.’’

 

‘’Really?’’ Mark blushes with a tinge of peach covering his cheeks. His eyes are blown wide, glossy in astonishment.

 

‘’Uh,’’ Donghyuck rubs his neck, ‘’’Yeah.’’

 

Mark walks up to the vanity and pulls out his hair gel. He hadn’t intended to use it but brought it along just in case. The two of them lock eyes with the help of the mirror whilst Mark runs the gel through his hair. He struggles with one hair strand that doesn’t seem to want to stick to the rest of them, so he gives up eventually with a low huff.

 

Donghyuck reaches up to the hair strand with a chuckle. He plays with it for a moment, before letting it drop once again against Mark’s forehead. ‘’Cute.’’

 

‘’Cute?’’ Mark smiles.

 

‘’Yes, cute,’’ Donghyuck says, and flicks his forehead without any strength.

 

 

Donghyuck has only been to a handful of weddings. Four in fact. Two of them were when he was back in Korea, so they have become nothing but a fuzzy memory in his mind. The other two were both his father’s old coworkers so needless to say — they were downright boring as hell. So he wouldn't dare to conclude that he has much experience in that department.

 

The second he passes by the entrance to the castle in which the wedding was going to be held at, Donghyuck realizes that he had underestimated just how grand this event was actually going to be. If the house left him speechless, the castle humbled him instantly.

 

“Well, isn’t this different from the dorms,” Mark jokes beside him.

 

Different was one way of putting it, to say the least.

 

The castle was made out of stone, throughout. It seemed old, but not ancient to the point where it was worn down. In fact, it stood proudly with obviously new furniture and remodeling. It was decorated, but not over the top. There are white sheets draped down from the tall ceilings all over the area in between an endless row of chandeliers. Small bouquets of flowers that Donghyuck doesn’t know the name to trail along the narrow aisle up until the wedding arch where it blends in all together. By the bouquets are chairs lined up, five seats on each row. Close family and friends are directed to the front of the rows right away by a host that’s standing alongside the entrance.

 

The hall was filling up slowly but surely. Most of the people have opted to stand around in smaller circles to chat with their families and friends. Donghyuck chooses to no one's surprise to stick closely to Mark’s side since he barely knows anyone.

 

“Well, well, well,” a voice addresses from behind them.  He feels a slight tap on his shoulder that makes him turn around. ‘’If it isn’t Tom and Jerry.’’

 

Donghyuck doesn’t get a chance to answer before two arms wrap around his shoulder tightly, making him lean down slightly. He hears a familiar chuckle that makes small puffs of air tickle his ears.

 

‘’Mina,’’ he says, and feels relief wash over him over finally seeing a familiar face. ‘’I didn’t know you would be here,’’ he continues on with a surprised voice.

 

Mark and Mina hug each other in a cheerful greeting as well before she turns her attention towards him once again. ‘’Mark’s mom invited us, I came when I heard you two would be here.’’

 

The smile on her lips stretches even further when Donghyuck confesses just how much he had missed her. They stand in a circle next to the bar in order to catch up for arguably too long, since they manage to collect some nasty looks from the rest of the guests because they are holding up the line to the minibar. Mark leaves from time to time to greet some family member but other than that it’s the most fun Donghyuck has had in a long while.

 

 

 

‘’So, still sad and lonely?’’ Mina asks, with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

 

Mark had planned to share the news with his family over breakfast tomorrow, thus meaning that everyone would officially be a part of their scheme as well. It’s what they have to do to make it more realistic, but perhaps Mina could be the person he could share his honest thoughts with. If it was someone he trusted enough not to share their secret — it would be her. And if was being honest, he could really use someone to talk to about their twisted situation.

 

Donghyuck glances towards his side to find Mark busy humoring some distant aunt. His only opening was right there for him to grab. ‘’About that, there’s something I have to—’’

 

‘’Donghyuck and I are getting married actually.’’

 

Unlike Jaemin and Jeno’s reaction — Mina laughs right away. It’s a low chuckle that transfers into a full on giggle in no time. Donghyuck, on the other hand, is too busy gaping at Mark that seems to have appeared from thin air. It fuels something in him to find Mark smirking at him.

 

Mina’s eyes twinkle delightfully when both of them have calmed down — Mina from her laughter and Donghyuck from his shock. ‘’Wow, back when we were young our families thought that Mark and I would get married. Little did they know,’’ Mina beams. She doesn't sound one bit condensing, in fact, she seems utterly delighted. Happier than most people would be over a marriage announcement.

 

Donghyuck can feel Mark relax beside him. His hand reaches out for Donghyuck’s knuckles to grace against them ever so lightly, before dropping by his thigh once again.

 

A beautiful wave of orchestra fills the room suddenly and the guests are asked to relocate to their seats in order to start the ceremony. Donghyuck and Mark bid Mina goodbye for the time being and start to walk down the aisle to reach their seats on the third row. From up close the wedding arch looks even more ethereal, and Donghyuck tells Mark just as much.

 

‘’Minseok’s wife is an event planner,’’ Mark informs, his eyes still looking at the details of the scene. Their conversation doesn’t go any further because the priest asks everybody for their attention, making a silence fall over the hall.

 

The silence in the crowd carries on up until the bride is walking down the aisle gracefully which makes the crowd gasp in awe. Her face is covered by a see-through veil but it’s clear to see the bright smile on her lips. When she reaches the wedding arch, where Minseok is holding out his hand for her, Mark nudges Donghyuck’s shoulder slightly.

 

‘’They look so good together,’’ he whispers right before the music tones down. Donghyuck nods in agreement and watches the event unfold.

 

The pit in his stomach that formed back on the train spreads throughout his body for each second that passes. He listens to their love-filled vows that leave the guests teary-eyed, and he watches them slowly put their shining rings on each other.

 

Donghyuck tries not to give in into his temptations but loses the battle eventually by stealing a glance at Mark. What he finds, however, is that Mark’s attention already directed towards him.

 

The look in Mark’s eyes is so foreign to him. It’s unlike any other he has seen for the past nine years of his life. There’s this famous quote that says that the eyes are the window to the soul, and if that is anywhere near being true, then Mark’s soul was out in the open for Donghyuck to see. His lips are crooked near the corners of them in what looks like a smile, but his lips are parted ever so slightly which makes the smile look more like an awed expression than anything.

 

The thing is, Donghyuck wants to turn around. The look in Mark’s eyes feels like it shouldn’t be directed to him, but at the same time, it’s like they sucked him in and trapped him inside.  He can hear in the distance that the priest has announced the couple as husband and wife, but it’s nothing but a passing sound somewhere seemingly far away from Donghyuck’s mind.

 

Mark’s eye contact won’t budge. It’s a battle of fire and ice, rain and sunshine, plus and minus. Donghyuck tries to breathe but is unable to do so. Mark has stolen all the air from around him and refuses to give it back.

 

“Donghyuck, I—“

 

Then, everyone else around them is standing up in ovation as the newlywed couple runs down the aisle and the moment between them is broken.

 

 

“Here’s your drink, sir.”

 

Donghyuck accepts the drink given to him by the bartender with a smile and an inaudible _thank you_. He starts sipping on it right away and sighs when the heavenly taste of the bright Margarita touches his taste buds.

 

Suddenly Mina is standing beside him, this time with her hair flowing down her shoulders instead of the big bun it was in before. “Having fun?”

 

Donghyuck nods and takes another sip of his drink. They have relocated to another hall in the castle, one much more “laid back” for the lack of a better term. Don’t get him wrong, it’s still just as extravagant as the other one, just less wedding, and more party. The music is louder, some upbeat song Donghyuck recognizes blast through two loudspeakers standing on each end of the room. It’s mostly the children that are dancing around since the adults needed a little alcohol in their blood to get them going.

 

“So, how did it happen?” Mina says when she has her own liquor in her hand (Cocktail, Donghyuck assumes). She nods her head to the other side of the room where Mark was standing closely with his mother and father.

 

“Out of nowhere,” Donghyuck states. It’s a vague statement, but that’s all he can muster out after today’s events.

 

Mina hums, and he almost misses it due to the music. He has finished his drink by this time, so he places it on a rack a bit further away and returns back to his place.

 

“Just tell me this,” Mina starts, “Was it romantic?”

 

Donghyuck figures she means the engagement so he shrugs with a fake smile. “It was Mark.”

 

The words make her burst out in laughter. She eyes Mark from the other side of the room with a fond smile. “Before it ended with Yukhei, I remember how scared Mark felt when he realized that breaking up also meant letting go. It took a great toll on him to not only lose his boyfriend but his friend as well. He honestly promised me that he would never fool around with friends anymore, yet here he is, about to marry his absolute best friend.”

 

Donghyuck knows that she means well and that it was supposed to leave a sort of relief inside of him that Mark has gotten over his complex, but all that it does is make his insides curl up. He knows this fact well, Mark has never shied away from underlining the fact that he would never date a friend, especially after what happened with Yukhei. He has always been a person that held onto attachments too tightly, afraid of losing a friend in case something happens.

 

“Do you think that this is a mistake?” Donghyuck finds himself asking. He hasn’t meant for the words to come out, but filtering himself around Mina was a challenge itself — let alone during internal conflicts.

 

“No,” Mina deadpans. “This makes more sense than anything, Hyuck. You guys love and cherish each other so much, which is why I couldn’t even find it in myself to act surprised. I think I might have known all along that this was going to happen.”

 

 _I wish it was real_ , Donghyuck finds himself thinking. As the thought registers inside his brain, the world stops around him. He can feel a tremor that is threatening to spill out over his limbs, so he takes a step back to lean against the bar. He can see Mina’s mouth move in something that looks like “ _are you okay_ ”, but his eyes are too shaky so they might have deceived him. All he knows is that he has to find Mark. He searches with his eyes over the vicinity, until he _finally_ spots his best friend.

 

Mark was in the middle of the dance floor with one of his younger cousins wrapped around his arms. He is moving to the beat with her while both of them giggle at his clumpy movements. She seems a bit too heavy for his arms to carry, but every time he makes an attempt to let her down, a pout forms on her lips. The tactic works each time because Mark pulls her up into his arms right away.

 

 _I wish it was real,_ Donghyuck thinks and the words repeat inside his brain like a mantra. They grow louder and louder until all he can feel is this intense rush of affection towards his best friend. It hits him hard, right in the chest and as time passes by it spreads down his body with the help of his veins. He can feel the way his heart is thumping against his chest so vividly and it hurts.

 

It hurts that it’s all a lie. It hurts because he wants this so badly, and maybe this is all that he had wanted all along. It hurts because his battle with the government and his determination to stay was perhaps for one sole reason only — to spend even just one more day with Mark, even if it was stolen. He wants to have him burst into his room at non-existent hours to take him out for a jog, even if Donghyuck would rather stay in bed over anything. He wants him to throw a bag of chips in his lap as a gift when he knows that Donghyuck has worked extra hard during practice. He wants to run around in the court with a basketball flying between them and sweat trickling down their napes.

He wants to have him as a part of his day, no matter how little or grand that part might be.

 

The realization falls so hard on him, that he finds himself stumbling out of the castle with hurried steps. He doesn’t spare a single look back to the castle as he runs as far as his feet can take him.

  


By the time he realizes what he is doing, he is right by the porch of the mansion. He is panting heavy due to the run he has just taken in order to escape. His shirt is sticking to his skin uncomfortably, so he rips his tie off and pops the first two buttons of it loose.

 

On the inside pocket of his jacket lies his phone that buzzes against his rib cage excessively, but he ignores it in order to catch his breath. He has no keys, so he can’t walk into the house to snatch a water bottle to cool down.

 

At night time, the house seems even more intimidating. A cast of shadows daint the spotless walls with their grey shade, making the picture perfect illusion burst. It’s not a scary sight, more like an eye-opening one. Perhaps even the most perfect fantasy can burst in the deepest hours of the darkest nights where everything is out in the open.

 

Donghyuck had a habit back when he was younger that he has troubles growing out of. Before he fell asleep each night, he would look at the moon from the hint of the window he could see from his place on the bed. Sometimes he would talk to it, almost like a diary, other times he would let the silence speak its truth.

 

Maybe the habit never disappeared because he doesn’t know how long he stands there with his eyes on the moon and heart racing by the fountain in front of the mansion. The water was still for now and only acts as a bed for the moonlight.

 

The sound of crickets lulls him to calmness. His overbearingly loud thoughts go down to nothing but a soft whisper against his ears. The vibration against his chest had stopped between the first and third cricket he had heard.

 

Maybe it was the soothing air or the stillness of the night, but Donghyuck manages to sort his thoughts out. Ok, he had feelings for Mark, but that doesn’t have to change anything. Mark was stubborn about helping him, so all he has to do was keep his feelings in check for at least a year and then they would move on and forget anything had ever happened. It’s easy, plus they might be married on legal papers, but nowhere does it say that they have to act the part personally.

 

“Donghyuck?”

 

Ok, fuck. That came a little too early for his liking.

 

“Where have you been? I tried calling you,” a hand wraps around his wrist and he pulls it off before it manages to get a decent grip, as if the touch had burnt him.

 

He can feel Mark’s disappointed facial expression before he even turns around. His thoughts get confirmed the second he locks his eyes with the confused boy behind him.

 

It doesn’t take a second for Mark to say, “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing,” Donghyuck pushes. He could bet five bucks that Mark didn’t believe it for a second.

 

“Hyuck,” he drifts off, “Talk to me, please.”

 

Donghyuck runs a hand through his hair in order to sort out his feelings. All that self-venting and reflection seems to have led to nothing because here he was, trying his hardest not to burst out in tears. Or worse, spill out his true feelings.

 

“I got a little overwhelmed, that’s all,” he says instead with a faux smile.

 

Mark stays silent as he observes his best friend. He still doesn’t seem completely won over, but his shoulders slump down in defeat nonetheless. What he does instead, is return the smile and turns to the dark sky above them.

 

“It always surprises me how bright the night sky is out here in the country.”

 

Donghyuck feels relief wash over him when he figures that Mark has dropped the conversation. His eyes follow Mark’s until he as well is observing the microscopic bright dots that are scattered around the sky. Out in the city, the sky seems like an infinite miles away, but out here where the winds are quiet and the world is still, Donghyuck feels like he can reach each individual star if he so as stretches his hands far enough.

 

“It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?” he says, suddenly enveloped in a wash of tiredness. He sits down on the edge of the silent fountain with his feet slightly dangling in the air. He dips his fingers in the water behind him with curious hands, without drifting his eyes off of the stars. The water is warm against his palm.

 

“Yeah, it truly is.”

 

When Mark speaks with a voice that’s soft against the night, Donghyuck lets his gaze drop to the side where he was sitting. Just like back at the wedding, Mark is already watching him with a warm smile.

 

“You look sleepy, come here,” Mark whispers and pulls Donghyuck closer to his body. Before he could disagree, Mark wraps his hand around his head and places it on his shoulder. “Better.”

 

Donghyuck pouts. “You should go back to the party.”

 

“Nah, it became boring the second the aunties became too drunk,” Mark chuckles. “Plus, being here with you is much better.”

 

Mark always said things like these. One of the things Donghyuck really admires about Mark was how unapologetically he loves his friends. While Mark was more of an “everyone is a friend until proven otherwise” person, Donghyuck was the exact opposite. Trusting people came uneasy to him, and showing how much he loved his friends was even harder.

 

But, there was one problem. Donghyuck enjoyed these words a lot, but he has never received them while knowing that he harbored some non-platonic feelings for said boy. Which leads him to now, with his face in Mark’s shoulder to try to conceal his appearing blush.

 

They stay there, for god knows how long wrapped around each other with the moonlight being the only source of light. Mark’s fingers thread through the edges of Donghyuck’s hair from time to time, mostly to keep him awake.

 

“Hyuck,” Mark mumbles. “Are you awake?”

 

Donghyuck hums, barely conscious.

 

“My parents asked about us,” Mark says, and his voice takes a nervous tone.

 

Donghyuck sits up abruptly, making his head knock against Mark’s jaw slightly. “What do you mean us?”

 

“Well, my mom asked if I finally got around to start dating,” Mark still has his eyes apart from Donghyuck’s. “I couldn’t exactly deny it knowing that we would tell them anyways tomorrow.”

 

A wildfire spreads inside of Donghyuck, but instead of scorching hot, it’s downright freezing. He stands up from his seat with trembling legs and demands Mark’s attention towards him. He feels terrified to know the answer, but asks anyway; “What did they say?”

 

Mark’s eyes finally seek his, and the delicate glint in them was still present as ever. “About time,” he says with a higher octave as if he was trying to intimidate his mother.

 

Donghyuck exhales and slumps down on his seat once again. He feels fortunate that his family is accepting of him, but he wonders what everyone means when they say that it was due time. Was he really that obvious?

 

Suddenly it hits him that he doesn’t know what time it is. Last time Mark checked the time was just over midnight. At this point, he is certain that he could fall asleep if he so as blinks for a second too long. He contemplates if he should return back to his place on Mark’s shoulder, but remains put.

 

“Oh, Jaehyun says they are on their way back,” Mark says, almost as if he read Donghyuck’s mind. He chuckles when Donghyuck lets out a satisfied sigh.

 

They only move from their place when they hear tiers roll onto the driveway.

  
  


The morning falls over the village with delicate touches. The sun takes it’s time to peek through the windows, making the birds get braver and braver for each moment. Of course, being the sleepy head that Donghyuck is, takes that into account and allows himself to sleep way past the internal alarm created by his draining practice. And it seems that Mark has decided to enjoy that pleasure as well.

 

When Donghyuck finally stirs awake, Mark is surprisingly fast asleep next to him on the king-sized bed. Most of the sheets are by his side because Mark often complains about his born with cold hands and feet. Donghyuck, on the other hand, radiates warmness no matter the season. To make it fair, he got to keep the fuzzy pillows since Mark never cared for pillows anyway.

 

Before they went to sleep, clearly exhausted from the day's event, they skipped their usual chatter and jumped onto the bed with no shower or wash up. Mark’s gel covered hair looks stale against the off-white pillows which should gross him out, but it doesn't.

 

Speaking of Mark, he was only a hand reach away with his mouth slightly parted with soft snores. His eyelashes flutter against his cheeks, and Donghyuck knows it’s because he usually gets very realistic dreams. He doesn’t make an attempt to wake him up and opts instead to observe the slope of his nose and the rise of his chest.

 

The window is facing them, making the invading sunlight hit them spot on. Donghyuck wonders how Mark hasn’t woken up yet, but he isn't complaining — not when he looks so youthful without the wrinkles he gets when he is concentrated on something or the weight on his shoulders that demand him to always be aware and present.

 

Donghyuck suppresses a bubbling giggle when he thinks about how beautiful the man lying in front of him really is, and not only that but how lucky he is to have him by his side.

 

Then, a noise breaks him out of his thoughts. “Why are you staring?”

 

Donghyuck does his best to resemble a shrug from his place underneath the sheets. “Because you look ugly.”

 

Mark lets out a hoarse laugh while he stretches the sleep away. “This has to be the best sleep I’ve had in maybe years.”

 

“It’s because you slept next to me,” Donghyuck says without thinking.

 

Mark slumps down in the bed again and moves until he is lying on his side, facing Donghyuck. There’s a small twinkle in his eyes that only shines through when Mark is truly relaxed. “Hm, that could've been it, but here you are, smelling like old socks.”

 

A pillow gets thrown in Mark's direction before he can react, which leads to a childish battle of pillow fight. If you ask Donghyuck, he would tell you that he is winning but sadly the pillow slips out of his hands, making Mark take the opportunity to pin him down to land a few decent punches.

 

“Get off me, stinky,” Donghyuck gasps out between the laughter and the pillows that smack against his cheek without much force.

 

A knock pulls them out of their laughter, before Jaehyun’s face peeks through the door. He seems surprised at the scene in front of him, which Donghyuck admits can be quite misleading. Mark leaves his spot on top of Donghyuck’s thighs with clumsy motions and falls flat on the bed with embarrassment rising on his cheeks.

 

“Uh, mom says that breakfast is ready,” Jaehyun says with an eyebrow raised in amused.

 

Mark nods. “We’ll be there in a moment.”

 

 

As the day progresses, Donghyuck feels a heaviness unlike any other inside of his chest. It wasn’t because of something hurtful, quite the opposite actually. He was happy, overly joyful even, at the feeling of being surrounded by family. It wasn’t his own, and would never be his own practically speaking — but it was so easy to give into the illusion. Everything about Mark the past weeks has been nothing but a screenplay, and while he has been relatively well at keeping his feelings at check back home, it became a struggle when the story got another dimension.

 

They had moved out to the garden after a long and stomach-filling breakfast. The weather called for a day out and after the exhausting festivities — all they wanted to do was lie around in the sun with nothing in mind.

 

Mark, that overflowed with energy had taken it upon himself to play with the children in a game of tag to entertain them. Donghyuck had declined to join at first, but Mark’s pout has never been his strong suit.

 

“Tag, you’re it!”

 

The wind drifts through his body comfortably in contrast to the hot sun that is kissing his skin as he runs around the large grass field. He reaches out for one of the kids with a cheerful howl and yells out _tag_ before sprinting away in defense to himself. The semi-workout leave his heart beating in a pleasant way, especially when he knows that there is a competition going on.

 

The game continues on in the same fashion. He gets to be tag three times before he finally decides to pick up where he and Mark left off earlier in the morning in their bedroom. Spotting Mark isn’t difficult, considering that the kids around them were no taller than 4’5.

 

“Oh, you bit—“ Mark shrieks when he figures out Donghyuck’s plan. He collects himself from spelling out the cuss words when someone by the sun chairs scolds him for being inappropriate.

 

They run around the field with the kids around them cheering them on. Some of them cheer for Mark, while the others cheer for _uncle_ Donghyuck.

 

“Gotcha,” Donghyuck heaps and gets a hold of the edge of Mark’s shirt. He drags him down with him to the ground and calls out _tag_ with a proud voice. He feels rays of pride when the kids in his team cheer him on even further.

 

It’s only when Mark’s father and mother come over with a camera in their hands that Donghyuck notices the position that they are in. It’s the exact same as earlier, except flipped over. The situation seems amusing to his parents since their cameras start snapping.

 

“It’s for the future, you will look back at these with fondness,” his mother says with a  teasing smirk. She places her hand on Donghyuck’s shoulder and urges him down slightly. “Give him a kiss, it will be a cute picture for your wedding.”

 

Shit.

 

Mark and Donghyuck share a shocked (and terrified) look. Donghyuck can hear Mark’s dad agreeing to the idea, which freaks Donghyuck out even more because his dad often complains about PDA, yet here he was, confining in it. This was so evil.

 

“It’s okay,” Mark whispers and makes an attempt to stand up. He says something about them acting immature that Donghyuck doesn’t catch it because he is too busy leaning forward to place his lips at the outer corner of Mark’s lips.

 

It happens in a flash, and then they separate. He knows the picture has been taken because they are alone without neither the kids nor Mark’s parents. But that’s the least of Donghyuck’s worries because Mark is looking at him like _that_.

 

Like he is the only person in the world. Like he is the light at the end of the tunnel that Mark desperately seeks out for. Like he is the one thing that matters. But yet again, the surprised undertone never quite disappeared.

 

So maybe Donghyuck wants to stay there, perhaps even lean in for another taste — a better taste. But he doesn’t. Instead, he pulls himself off of the grass, pats his pants clean and walks over to the rest of the family with hurried steps.

 

 

“You’ve always made him happy, you know?”

 

It’s around dinner time. By this time the kids are too tired to play around so Mark’s aunt had put on some Disney movies in the living room to keep them busy. While the children are out of the way, Mark’s father had pulled out a nice (and very expensive) bottle of wine to celebrate their family.

 

Donghyuck had decided to lay low, to stay back in the comfort of Jaehyun’s presence since he was too overwhelmed to engage in whatever family history the elderly were reminiscing about. Each second he was there felt more and more like he was invading, and the joy that was sparkling inside veins prior to the almost-kiss they shared had now been replaced by worry. This whole world wasn’t for him, he wasn’t supposed to be here, so when the words leave Jaehyun’s mouth he stands up, abruptly.

 

By the time he reaches their borrowed bedroom, Donghyuck’s breathing is staggered. He pulls out his bag and drops his suit carelessly inside of it. He can already see the wrinkles forming, but pays it no attention. He is running around looking for his outfit from yesterday morning when the door opens up.

 

“Hey, what happened? You left so suddenly.”

 

Donghyuck drops the pants in his hands and takes a deep breath. He can feel his hands trembling slightly, and he would rather die than to let Mark see him in this state, so he speaks from his place facing the opposite side.

 

“I can’t do this anymore, Mark.”

 

There’s a beat of silence. “What do you mean?”

 

Two hands wraps around his shoulder and suddenly he is meeting Mark’s furrowed brows. They stand there for a moment, with Donghyuck’s irregular breathing being the only sound in the room. He takes a step back and another one until his back hits the dresser behind him. He repeats his original sentence with a heave.

 

“What can’t you do?” Mark asks with a small voice.  

 

“This,” Donghyuck swallows the lump in his throat and drifts his eyes away from Mark’s hurt ones. “I can’t pretend anymore.”

 

“Hyuck, please tell me what happened,” Mark pushes as his voice grows desperate. There are only a few feet between them, but the distance has never felt this far before. The handle of the dresser presses against Donghyuck’s back and it pains him slightly, but the pain is barely noticeable when his chest feels the way it does.

 

“Nothing happened, Mark,” Donghyuck sighs. When Mark takes a step closer with pleading eyes he continues talking. “I know you said that this doesn’t matter and it will all go away in a year from now but watching you today — I feel like it should. You should experience all of this with your family and friends and not some rushed fake marriage because of me. You can only get married for the first time once, and you should make it special.”

 

“It is special,” Mark mumbles. His hand rubs his neck in anxiousness, but determination seems to build inside him as his eyes lock with Donghyuck’s again. “Everything with you is special.”

 

“Don’t try to fight me about this, please,” Donghyuck runs a frustrated hand through his hair. He feels nervous, and most of all lost. The only person he relies on the most in the whole entire world is right in front of him, yet he is so far out of reach. “I just want you to be happy, Mark.”

 

Mark looks like he has been slapped. His fists curl in their place by his side. “I am fucking happy, Hyuck. I’m so fucking happy.”

 

Donghyuck takes a moment to answer because of his hesitation. Hell, he doesn’t even know what to say so he crocks his head in wonder and lets out a short _what_?

 

“Donghyuck, the past weeks have been insane. I don’t even know how to describe it, and I’m not going to try to. I just know that things aren’t the same anymore, and I think it might have been this way before I even realized it,” Mark takes his time to say every word, almost to make them melt in. The frustration inside of him is still there, but Donghyuck wonders if it’s directed at his own incoherent thoughts rather than at him. The words linger in the air for a moment before he continues after a long inhale. “Listen—“

 

“Stop,” Donghyuck begs. He closes his eyes and throws his head back in irritation. He can feel some sort of rejection coming his way, he knows Mark is way too smart to not have noticed his awkward behavior the past day. The almost-kiss was just the tip of the icing.

 

“Look at me,” Mark whispers, suddenly sounding much closer. His breath hits Donghyuck’s cheek like a fresh summer breeze. Stubbornness has always been one of Donghyuck’s prominent traits, so he remains with his eyes closed to fight the war inside of his brain. “Fucking look at me, Donghyuck.”

 

“These days has been so fucking hard and you being all stunning in the wedding didn’t help. Neither did playing around the kids either. I’m stuck in my head imagining how marrying you would actually be like and I want that so fucking badly. I don’t care if I get deported, I just can’t keep pretending,” Donghyuck finally opens his eyes. “I fucking like you, Mark. Okay? Is that what you want to hear? I want to be with you, no lies or pretending. I just want you.”

 

Donghyuck was ready to ramble on. To let out every single emotion he had felt for the past two days, maybe even the past couple years of his life. He wishes he wasn’t that slow to figure out his feelings, but at the same time it’s a relief to know that he had at least saved himself the heartbreak early on in his life. There’s just so much a man can handle.

 

But he wasn’t allowed to. Because Mark has his hands on each side of Donghyuck’s jaw tightly with his lips pressed against his just as desperately. And Donghyuck doesn’t think twice before he wraps his arms around Mark and pulls him as close as he possibly can.

 

Mark gasps into the kiss, which makes Donghyuck whimper in answer. He is too stunned to think about what is happening, but at this moment he doesn’t even dare to give a fuck. Because Mark’s lips might be on the thinner side, but they feel so plump against his own. They move together enthusiastically, with Donghyuck’s hands roaming around his body while Mark plays with the short hairs on Donghyuck’s nape.

 

The kisses decrease into a slower pace, with their lips melting against each other when Mark finally — _finally_ opens up his lips and Donghyuck gets a proper taste of him. He tastes like the wine they had downstairs mixed with something that is so obviously Mark that a laugh threatens to burst out of him.

 

The situation is just.. so nuts. He is standing in a mansion that costs more than anything he will ever achieve, with the same old Mark that used to think dried glue was cool, wrapped around his body and his tongue carefully licking into his mouth.

 

“Donghyuck,” Mark whispers against his lips when they separate for air. His hands move down until they rest delicately against his hips. Suddenly he chuckles, low and slow with his eyes fluttering open to meet Donghyuck’s. “I like you so much. Did you ever take a moment to wonder why I did this? Why I agreed to marry you?”

 

As much as he would love to see Mark try to act romantically, there was a more pressing matter at hand — like kissing Mark senseless until he wouldn’t be able to remember anything but Donghyuck’s name. So that’s what he does as he leads them blindly to the bed and carefully leans Mark down, with him right on top.

 

His lips never stop moving, nipping, tasting every part of his best friend. His hands roam from his arms to his chest until they finally rest right on top of his tightened abs. As his fingers scratch against Mark’s covered skin, he can feel the shivers that travel down his body.

 

Mark’s hands somehow find their way to his chest and he pushes slightly, making them part from their open-mouthed kisses. Donghyuck shoots him a worried look, but it quickly dissolves when he sees the state Mark is in. The way his hair is placed around his head on the pillow resembling a halo around saint's heads. His lips are slightly bruised due to the excessive kissing, and their color matches the one on top of Mark’s cheekbones.

 

He looks breathtaking, literally, because it steals the breath right out of Donghyuck’s lungs.

 

“Maybe we shouldn’t rush anything,” Mark whispers, and he sounds just as wrecked as his state. His words seem reluctant, almost as if he doesn’t want them to actually happen.

 

“Okay, yeah, okay,” Donghyuck mumbles out and leans down for one more kiss because he can. Their lips linger for longer than he had expected, which leaves his toes curling in enjoyment.

  


“Don’t forget to visit us soon. I know neither of you knows the first thing about wedding planning,” Mark’s mom says as they rush to get their final greetings done. They had accidentally overslept (due to staying up way past their normal schedule in order to catch up on all the kissing they have missed out on), which meant that they had approximately thirty minutes to catch their train.

 

Mark makes the promise to call and grabs ahold of Donghyuck’s hand in order to drag him to Jaehyun’s waiting car. They jump on the backseat together, with their hands still linked up.

 

“Wow, really? Not even bothering with hanging out with your brother for the last minutes on your stay? I should be offended,” Jaehyun snickers as he drives slightly over the speed limit to the train station. “But I’m not, because you two look disgustingly good together.”

 

Mark flushes, which makes Donghyuck give his hand a squeeze to remind him that it was okay. A smile forms on Mark's lips when he feels it. They drive in silence for a while, until the train station comes in view.

 

“Listen guys, I know the reason as to why you are getting married. It wasn’t hard to figure out, especially since Mark is a shitty liar. I almost felt bad until I saw you walk out of the room with those badly hidden hickeys this morning,'' Jaehyun coughs awkwardly. He ignores their panicked looks.  ''I’m glad you guys got your shit together, now go catch the train.”

  


 

As much as the vacation felt like a nice break from everything, the second Donghyuck steps inside of the dorm he feels a wash of comfort all over him. He takes in the messy state it was in since they didn’t get a chance to clean up the dorm before they left for the wedding.

 

But that doesn’t matter because Mark wraps his arms around his back on an instance when the door is locked behind them and the keys are thrown on the table. Donghyuck hums in happiness and leans against the touch even further until they are chest against back with no space in between.

 

“This feels nice,” Mark mumbles and leans down until his face is pressed against Donghyuck’s neck. Donghyuck feels a small wetness against his skin which can only mean that Mark is trailing small kisses against the surface.

 

“We should go eat,” Donghyuck breaths. Each breath hitches when Mark presses his lips against some random part of him.

 

“Hm, maybe we should,” Mark replies, with his mouth gracing against Donghyuck. His kisses turn more open-mouthed, and he reaches lower and lower for each kiss. At this point, Donghyuck has taken it upon himself to throw his head back against Mark’s shoulder with barely audible whimpers.

 

“Thai? Chinese? Mexican?” Donghyuck whines as Mark sucks on a spot with an increased amount of pressure. Mark's hands go lower on his body until his arms are loosely wrapped around his waist.

 

“You can pick, it doesn’t matter,” Mark chuckles, and sucks on a spot so hard that Donghyuck’s knees buckle against the air. Thankfully Mark manages to get a grip on him to make sure that he doesn’t fall down.

 

Donghyuck succeeds to gather enough strength to turn around and seal their lips together in a heavy kiss. He leaves no room for buildup or teasing, just shoots at his target right away.

 

Mark’s jacket falls off with his shirt before they even manage to walk towards one of their room. Mark’s fingers try to unbutton his shirt which he fails with. Donghyuck decides to jump in and pulls it off of his body instead. He throws it to the ground before he has his lips on Mark’s once again.

 

Just like their friendship, they quickly learn to read each other. Donghyuck learns that Mark likes to have his lower lip sucked on, while Mark realizes that Donghyuck doesn’t like a lot of tongue. It all comes so easily as if they have been doing this for years when truly, it’s been less than twenty-four hours.

 

With their shirts gone, their touching becomes non-controllable. Donghyuck feels the need to trace Mark’s burning skin under his fingers or he might break down crying or something. You get the point.

 

If Mark’s body looked nice, it felt even nicer. It made a fire ignite at the pit of his stomach, and he found himself buckling against each of his touches just to feel Mark against his body, no matter where.

 

He remembers that Mark wants to take it slow, which is why his fingers leave their place on his hip line to travel upwards to his exposed neck. His neck was a safe place, at least for now. But that's a discussion for another time.

 

“Donghyuck, you are so beautiful,” Mark spills out against his lips and it feels like the words have taken him off guard as well as they had taken Donghyuck. They stare at each other for a long moment, with their pants filling the air and their desperation digging against each other’s thighs.

 

“You really are. I can’t believe you are mine,” Mark continues and smiles with pure adoration in his eyes. His hands feel his fingertips against his skin as he traces each mole and freckle on his chest.

 

“I’m yours,” Donghyuck says, with a slight voice crack. He doesn’t bother to conceal it with a cough or anything of the sort as he leans up against the bed to lock their lips together once again.

 

The food becomes long forgotten until their rumbling stomach reminds them that they have to eat in order to survive. (They end up getting Mexican.)

 

 

 

“We have two weeks left guys. Our progress is amazing, but we need to push it even more, which I know we can achieve easily. Let’s go, remember your positions!”

 

Mark shoots Donghyuck a wink before Johnny throws the ball into the air in the center circle, and the game begins. It was a practice game between their team to get them to try their new tactics. It’s the second game of the day, with the first one being a win on the black team — his team.

 

He can see Jeno waving at him from his place at the three-point line. He spares a glance at the other team and quickly figures that they would be able to calculate his next move surely since he always passes the ball to Jeno, so what he does instead is to dribble past Hyunjin before throwing the ball in Jaemin’s direction. Jaemin catches it with ease and lands a two-pointer that land in a swish.

 

The game continues on with a bit of struggle. After their first score, they manage to land another one before the red team manages to score five in a row. Each time the ball falls through the net on their side of the court, he can feel Mark’s grin directed to his slumped back.

 

But, Donghyuck was never the one to call defeat, especially not to Mark, so he even succeeds to land a few three-pointers despite being a Point guard. The game is close, which is unlike the first one where they won with ease. He can tell the team is taking it more seriously by the smell of sweat and adrenaline in the air. He loves it.

 

The buzzer rings loudly right as Jeno lands a swift two-pointer, making the game ends with 98-100 to the red team. Well, at least the lockers won’t be too hectic with testosterone since both of the teams got a win each.

 

“Tomorrow is cardio, don’t forget. Also, there’s some of you that still haven’t turned in your passports and I need those to book the plane tickets. Come on guys, I’ve asked you for days now,” Johnny announces. His eyes land on Donghyuck. “Yes, talking to you Donghyuck, and you as well Eric.”

 

“Mark, has Jaehyun sent the papers yet?” Donghyuck says as he dries his hair from the quick shower. The locker room was almost empty now, save for a couple of people scattered around either preparing for a shower or just heading out.

 

“He says that they should be here today,” Mark informs and zips his hoodie up. He leans back against the locker with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry it’s taking so long, he just finished with a bitch of a case. His words, not mine.”

 

Donghyuck leans over to place a quick peck on Mark’s cheek. The action leaves a tinge of flush on Mark’s neck that never reaches his cheeks, sadly.  “It’s okay. I don’t wanna burden him more than I’ve already have. The only thing we need is the marriage certificate and we should be fine. He said his contact at the Immigration center was positive about the outcome, right?”

 

Mark nods, and returns the peck, on Donghyuck’s lips instead. “Yeah, you’ll be fine. We’ll both be fine.”

 

 

It’s such a weird feeling seeing your own marriage certificate in your own hands. The paper that is worth so much, that is somehow even more valuable than gold and diamonds yet Donghyuck feels funny. Funny in a humorous way because Mark and he have barely dated for two weeks, yet here they are. Freaking married.

 

Donghyuck didn’t dare to mention actual marriage to Mark since the topic felt too sensitive now that they were still in their “honeymoon” phase. They were married on paper, and the only thing they had to do was work their way up to it. They were still young with their whole lives ahead of them because after all, that was their plan anyway - to live together for a long time. Them dating was just a little twist, a remix if you will.

 

“This feels weird,” Mark says as if he had read his mind.

 

“Tell me about it,” Donghyuck answers, with his eyes still stuck to the piece of paper. Mark takes it out of his hands and places it on the coffee table in front of them.

 

“Does that mean I get to call you my husband from now on? Or hubby?” Mark chuckles, and his eyes light up.

 

“Nobody says  _hubby_ anymore, Mark. I can’t believe my hubby is this lame,” Donghyuck smirks back and pulls Mark into a long chain of kisses that makes the both of them giggle like teenage girls.

 

 

When the paper finally arrives, five days before their competition, Donghyuck surprisingly doesn’t feel anything. If anything he feels a calm that is a contrast to Mark’s enthusiasm. He could swear that there was a teardrop that fell through his boyfriend’s (husband’s?) eyes the moment his eyes read the word “approval.”

 

So they kiss out of happiness, out of the fact that they managed to make it in such a short amount of time, out of the fact that Donghyuck would join their team after all and out of the fact that Donghyuck could stay with Mark.

 

They kiss until they are naked on top of Mark’s black sheets. Each kiss that Mark presses against him burns like fire, but it’s a nice burn. The sensation reminds him of one in which the warmest rays of sunshine would land on top of your skin, it’s too warm but you lean into it anyway.

 

Mark takes his time to map him out, with both his hands and lips. He starts a the very crown of his forehead until he is on the inner side of his thighs. Donghyuck feels embarrassment settle on him as Mark lingers around his thighs in order to press barely bruising kisses, but Mark makes sure to praise him enough that he doesn’t care anymore.

 

He kisses and licks on the same area until Donghyuck is nearly crying out in need. He feels too hot and too heavy but it’s the sweetest and most addicting feeling he has ever experienced.

 

“Please, Mark,” Donghyuck pants out, eyebrows furrowed as his hips buckle against the nothingness of the air. He can hear Mark chuckle, he can even feel it by the cold breaths that hit his saliva covered thighs.

 

“I got you,” Mark coos and finally takes him into his mouth without any more teasing. He keeps a steady pace with the help of his hand holding down Donghyuck’s skirmish hips. The pace isn’t slow enough that it’s agonizing, but it’s careful enough to leave Donghyuck begging for more.

 

Which of course Mark provides.

 

Mark keeps his eyes on Donghyuck the whole night, watching him fall apart in his embrace with love filled words and heartfelt expressions. They pick up each other’s pieces and mend them together right away and god does it feel perfect. In the morning, they know that their bickering will pick up right where it left off, probably over something that is so unimportant but that’s just who they were. And it works so well, but for now, they will let all of their feelings spill out in the open with nothing to hide.

 

[Bonus]

 

“Can I be honest with you?”

 

Donghyuck makes a noise of acknowledgment. He was too busy walking through the lines of security to engage in whatever deep conversation Mark seemed necessary at the moment. When he feels a tug on the edge of his t-shirt, he turns around with an unamused look.

 

“What?”

 

Mark’s eyes seem to have widened up from the last time he saw them just a few seconds ago. He feels worry build inside of him, and his brain goes into overdrive as he tries to remember if there was anything he should be worried about.

 

“I’m kinda scared of flying,” Mark confesses with his head hung low.

 

Donghyuck tries to act normal. He tries to convince his boyfriend that it was okay to have fears and that he would be holding his hand in distraction for the whole ten hours flight. But Mark looks like a kid that has gotten his candy taken away and Donghyuck finds himself dropping his bag in order to wrap his arms around him. He lets out a string of pet names and what not which only makes Mark push him off in faux annoyance.

 

“Don’t worry, baby. I got you.”

 

Turns out Mark is underlined really scared of flying because he spends the entire trip curled up against Donghyuck’s side. Sometimes, he manages to forget where he is until there’s minor turbulence that leaves him shaken for hours. Jaemin that was seated next to them scoffs after four hours of them either kissing or doing “couple things” and demands that Jeno changes his seat with him. Donghyuck thinks they don’t notice, but he sees the way Jaemin places a soft kiss against Jeno’s cheek before he sits on the seat beside their sleeping coach.

 

“So, you and Jaemin huh?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow. this story means so much to me, and i hope you guys enjoyed it just as much as i enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> please let me know your thoughts and feelings. i love you so much. <3
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/hyuckyan) / [cc](https://curiouscat.me/hyuckyang)

**Author's Note:**

> here's to donghyuck emphasizing the fact that he and mark watched this movie alone.


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